


Whatever Necessary

by plotholes_ahead



Series: Chaos and Art [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Outbound Flight - Timothy Zahn, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Angst, Author Took Liberties With All Things Science Law and Military, Chiss Ascendancy (Star Wars), Chiss Politics, Convoluted Chiss Families, Domesticated Thranto, Exthrassperated, F/M, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Grysk (Star Wars), Learning To Be Thranto, Love, Loving Thranto, M/M, Marriage, Minor Character Death, Non-Explicit Sex, Power Couple, Sometimes Tense Thranto, Tags May Change, Thrawn And His Secrets, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:47:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 50,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24503362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plotholes_ahead/pseuds/plotholes_ahead
Summary: After Thrawn’s return, Eli and his promised-mate struggle to become accustomed to their new roles in the Ascendancy. With the threat of the dreaded Grysks still looming overhead, matters closer to home are made worse by the turbulence of the Ruling Families. Eli is often away and Thrawn is stuck planetside, but the Chiss is planning something; something he is confident will bring about a decisive victory for the Ascendancy.When an unexpected summons from Thrawn’s brother leads to a pivotal decision, they are propelled through yet another transition, with personal and professional ramifications; one of them being Thrawn’s secret reinstatement into the Fleets and the subsequent gift of a brand new ship.With Eli at his side, the Chiss departs with what he believes will defeat the Grysks, traveling to what will eventually be known as The First Battle preceding The Rebirth.Part 1: A New Life, Ch 1-9Part 2: The First Battle, Ch 10-22
Relationships: Formbi | Chaf'orm'bintrano/Brierly Ronan, Thrass | Mitth'ras'safis/Original Character(s), Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Series: Chaos and Art [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733725
Comments: 164
Kudos: 79





	1. The Gala

**Author's Note:**

> You’ll most likely be fine to skip the previous two parts of this series. I’ll do my best to explain things that were revealed in those. 
> 
> I realize everyone interprets music differently, but if anyone happens to be as obsessed with movie scores and instrumental music as I am, I plan to add a song to each chapter just for the fun of it. I’ll try not to use the same composers, but it might happen. I can’t help it, I have my favorites. : ) 
> 
> Song Recommendation for Chapter 1: Dance in F - James Newton Howard 
> 
>   
> Chapter Summary: Thrawn, Eli, and Thrass attend a party hosted by the Fourth Family.

_“I will do whatever necessary  
to protect those who depend on me.”  
– Mitth’raw’nuruodo in Outbound Flight,  
Timothy Zahn_

Thrawn buttoned the fastener of his high collared burgundy tunic, pulling at the tight cuffs of his sleeves and picking the loose strands of fabric off his shoulder. He straightened to admire his reflection in the mirror and huffed out a sigh of distaste. Eli would be wearing black and blue - his formal Fleet attire, signifying his Family ties along with his commitment to the military. Thrawn hadn’t fully adjusted to wearing a color other than white yet.

As much as Thrawn treasured time with Eli, Family parties were _not_ his thing. He’d gone to how many in the last six months since he’d returned to the Ascendancy? Three? And each one had been a drag for him. Not because the hosts or guests were rude, per se, he just didn’t relish smiling until his face hurt and shaking hand after hand until he was certain he’d contracted some virus. 

Glancing at his reflection once more, he reminded himself for the umpteenth time that he was doing this for _Eli,_ and no one else. And there were very few things he wouldn’t do for his human. 

***

The three men strode along the gravel path beside the other guests. The walkway was lined with tall blossoming trees, leading to a large mansion adorned with flourishing blue flags outside its doors and windows. 

“Quite rude of them,” Thrass was saying to Eli. “Expecting us to walk this distance like damn peasants.”

Eli replied with a tone of amiability while Thrawn took in his surroundings, preoccupied.

Thankfully, this was the first party hosted on Sposia that he’d attended. He wiped his sweaty palms inconspicuously on his dark trousers as they walked around the center fountain. This planet brought back nothing but horrible memories for him; his pulse had been racing ever since his boot hit the soil. 

Thrawn knew Eli had only been here once before. In truth, Thrass had probably been here more times than Thrawn and Eli combined, which would explain his ease at leading the charge up the steps, between the pillars, and onto the expansive porch. A lovely, orchestral melody wafted from the open windows and the buzz of conversation could be heard from behind the large double doors.

Thrass waited at the top of the stairs. “Eli, it’s probably best that you enter first, considering this is _your_ Family’s function.”

“Are you sure, Thrass?” Eli teased, meeting him on the top step. “You already act like you own the place.”

Thrass gave him a look, full of mock arrogance. “It’s my aura.”

Eli hummed his understanding, a sardonic expression on his face. He took Thrawn by the hand, and with an encouraging smile, led them both through the double doors. They opened automatically upon their arrival, giving way to a splendidly decorated vestibule packed with affluently dressed Chiss in all Family colors. This room alone could have easy sufficed as the main ballroom, but at the far end of the space were another set of double doors, opened to reveal the Grand Hall full of mingling, dancing Chiss.

A young child ran across their path, followed closely by her parents. Thrawn’s eyes followed the family weaving between guests and around the corner. He scanned the entire room in one sweep. Many of them were donned in various shades of blue, but all Family’s were represented. 

His gaze landed on Eli’s and the human grinned, sensing his unease. Thrawn noticed his brother had disappeared. As they made their way further into the Hall, Thrawn caught some of what a group of privileged youths were whispering as they passed.

“He’s wearing blue.”

“Maybe he’s trying to fit in.”

“He’s Sabosen, idiot.”

“No, he’s not. Humans don’t get matched.”

“He’s at least CDF.”

“Are they…together?”

“But…he’s a _human_.”

_“They’re hot.”_

Out of the corner of his eye, Thrawn saw Eli shoot him a sidelong glance, no doubt wondering if he’d heard any of the conversation. Eli got his answer when Thrawn turned to face the group of teenage Chiss. “May I suggest refraining from commenting on other guests loud enough for the Galactic Empire to hear-”

“What he _means_ to say,” Eli interrupted, glancing at Thrawn incredulously. “Is yes, we’re from different families. Yes, we’re together. And yes, _ridiculously_ attractive.”

He smiled congenially at the group. A few of them grinned back, while a few others did not hesitate to cast dirty looks in Thrawn’s direction. They hurried away, but not before one of the girls winked at Eli as she walked past.

“We’re here to make friends,” Eli told Thrawn in a hushed tone, as he led him inside the ballroom and off to the side. “Remember?”

“That was not a condition-”

“It’s not up for debate,” Eli retorted.

Thrass reappeared, carrying beverages for all of them. Eli accepted his, nodding gratefully. Thrawn refused one and reverted to his intense study of the room, so Eli took the drink meant for him as well. 

Since members of all Families were present tonight, the décor incorporated all the Family flags and colors, hanging from the ceiling and waving mysteriously in the breeze-less room. Smaller flags hung from slanted poles extending out from the walls. Sparkling chandeliers glittered above them, blue-clad waiters roamed around carrying trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and an orchestra played at the front of the hall. 

All in all, it was a magnificent event. Eli seemed to be enjoying himself, talking merrily with Thrass, who loved every second of it. Thrawn, on the other hand, tolerated these gatherings, at best.

They stood along the wall, watching the people dance; moving through intricate patterns that had the participants twirling, spinning and swapping partners at various points. It seemed a difficult pattern to memorize. Thrawn accepted the challenge, busying himself with the task out of sheer boredom. Eli was busy explaining Lysatran line dancing to Thrass.

“Thrawn,” Eli said, his voice lilting in question. “Would you like to dance?”

A loud snort made them both jump. Thrass had laughed so hard he’d launched a mouth full of expensive Sabosen liquor all over Eli’s shoulder. Eli turned to him, mouth agape. The Chiss continued coughing as he pawed at Eli’s now damp jacket with his free hand, attempting to wipe off the liquor. 

“Apologies, human,” he managed through broken coughs.

Traces of Eli’s amused grin still wrinkled the corner of his eyes when he turned back to face Thrawn. 

“I do not dance.” Thrawn needlessly clarified. 

Eli scoffed, affection in his eyes. “I’ve seen you fight, I know you can move.”

Thrass leaned across them to grab a fresh drink off a waiter’s tray, as his previous one was currently drying on Eli’s formal jacket. “Not to mention he’s seen you move in other ways-”

“Thank you, Thrass,” Thrawn snapped, throwing daggers at his brother. Thrass made a gesture indicating his surrender and left the two of them in private. 

Thrawn faced Eli. “I would prefer not to dance, Eli.”

The human chuckled. “I’m not going to make you.”

“Gentlemen,” a familiar voice said.

They turned to see Admiral Ar’alani, dressed in her usual all white uniform. Her long, silky hair fell well past her shoulders, not in a tight bun tonight, but her eyes held their usual sternness. 

“Admiral,” Thrawn said as he inclined his head towards her. “Good evening.”

Ar’alani acknowledged Thrawn and _almost_ gave Eli a smile. “Lieutenant Commander.”

Eli did smile at her. “Admiral. Fancy seeing you here.”

The woman sighed and looked out at the crowd, muttering. “Politics. One cannot escape them.”

“You could do what Thrawn does and feign ignorance,” another voice chimed in. Thrass had returned. “Good evening, Admiral. You look marvelous this evening.”

“Thank you,” Ar’alani replied coolly, looking Thrass up and down as if searching for a reply compliment. She remained silent.

“Are you here alone?” Thrass continued. “You’ll have to save a dance for me.”

Thrawn and Eli shared an amused look and Eli hid his smile as he drank from his glass. They were both wondering how long it'd be until Ar’alani slapped Thrass across the face as he continued doting upon her. Surprisingly, she let him get away with two more compliments before cutting him off.

“I actually came over to speak to Ivant, if the two of you don’t mind,” she said, looking pointedly between the two brothers.

Thrawn eyed her with a look of polite interest that only dimly veiled his irritation at being dismissed. But he left without a word, following Thrass across the room.

They plopped down in vacant seats near the entrance, where the music wasn’t quite as loud. Thrawn watched Eli talk with Ar’alani. He held himself well, his head held high in assuredness. His serious expression broke into a gracious smile when a man kindly interrupted the two to shake Eli’s hand. Another woman waved elegantly to Eli as she past. 

Thrawn frowned. How did Eli know all these people? 

“He certainly is charming,” Thrass muttered, breaking into Thrawn’s thoughts. Thrass declined to confess his growing apprehension that Eli might surpass him on the political popularity scale. Thrawn grunted lackadaisically in response. 

The music slowed, followed by soft, polite clapping and the low drone of conversation, punctuated by a shriek of laughter from a young Chiss before the music struck up again.

“How are you?” Thrass asked him, with too much softness to be insignificant small talk. 

Thrawn suppressed the instant agitation at his brother. “I’m fine, Thrass.”  
  
In truth, he was not fine. The urge to simply walk out increased with every passing minute. _Eli…here for Eli._ Except Eli didn’t need him there at all. He grabbed a drink from a passing waiter.

“Obviously,” Thrass said shortly. “And have you told him?”

Thrawn brought his drink delicately to his lips and then said. “I thought it was none of your business?” 

“Yeah, well, you’re my little brother. I’m allowed to pry.”

“Certainly there are more pressing matters-”

“Eli should know your reasoning for distrusting them.” 

“Off hand, I can think of 82 more pressing concerns-” 

“If you told him about the testing they put you through-“

“Can we not discuss this here?” Thrawn requested, with a pointed look in his direction. 

“I just think you should tell him, eventually.”

“Telling him would change nothing.”

“Perhaps,” Thrass said, watching the dancing, laughing, increasingly boisterous crowd. “You’d be letting your guard down, that’s a change.” He tore his attention away from a stumbling drunk. “There’s still time, Thrawn.”

Thrawn shook his head, then downed his drink. “Not with the Ascendancy in its current chaos. It won’t happen. I won’t let it.”

Thrass nodded towards Eli, whose conversation with the Admiral had been interrupted once again. He was now squatting before a young Sabosen boy, talking enthusiastically with him. “He might disagree with you.”

They caught Eli’s eye and he waved towards them, smiling broadly. 

Thrass glanced sideways at his brother. “You’re a tool, you know that?”

Thrawn remained quiet, refusing to continue this conversation. The elder brother looked back to Eli and suddenly sat up straighter, placed his drink on the nearest table, and began smoothing out his burgundy robe. Thrawn shot him an odd look, then his eyes followed to where Thrass’s kept jumping. His older brother crossed his legs, then uncrossed them. 

“You seem bothered, brother.” Thrawn remarked with a sly smile.

Thrass leaned closer to him. “Do you know who that is? The woman talking with Eli?”  


Thrawn eyed the newcomer. She was young and pretty, wearing a long, sky blue dress. “A poor soul bound for disappointment if she agrees to go out with you?”

An angry scoff and scowl from Thrass caused Thrawn to smile. “ _That_ is the Sabosen Syndic,” Thrass explained, straightening once more and tucking his hair behind his ears. “Single, respectable, and just my type.”

“Blue skin, red eyes and a pulse?”

“Oh shut up.”

Thrass’s eyes flicked over his brother’s shoulder. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said with no small amount of disgust.

Thrawn made a face as well when he spotted the other human he had sent to the Ascendancy and Aristocra Chaf’orm’bintrano practically waltzing into the Grand Hall.

Brierly Ronan’s chin was held high in his usual self-important outward show; his arm linked with the Chiss leader donned in yellow-gold robes. Thrawn recalled Eli telling him they were an item. It had confused him then. Now it made sense.

Beside him, Thrass gave voice to his inner monologue, wondering if they could dip out now without being seen, or now, or now, how about now? Too late.

“Comman – actually no,” Formbi said with a wicked sneer. “It’s just _Advisor_ Thrawn now, isn’t it?”

Thrass stood, so Thrawn did, too. 

“Aristocra,” a cool voice spoke to Thrawn’s right. He turned, curious as to who would interrupt what was sure to be a noteworthy disagreement. It was _Eli_ ; his voice sounding so different that Thrawn didn’t recognize it until he saw the human speak. “Ronan. I hope the evening finds you well.”

Thrawn tilted his head quizzically; completely enamored by this new Eli who he hadn’t ever met before. 

“Hello, Vanto,” Ronan said with a snarl and a spat. 

No doubt the fact that Eli, and not Ronan, had been accepted into a Family still irked the other human. Eli’s eyes flicked to Formbi, wondering how many arguments _that_ issue stirred up.

Ronan turned his ill-advised challenging tone to Thrawn. “How is the office, Thrawn?”

“Forgive me,” Eli spoke first, seeking zero forgiveness. “But what exactly is the purpose of your presence, Ronan?” Eli’s eyes once again flashed to the Aristocra. “Bending a knee to those more powerful than you? I would’ve thought you’d had enough of that in the Empire, _traitor_.”

Ronan’s eyes blazed with fury. “Excuse you. You and I _both_ deserted the Empire-“

“It was not the Empire I was referring to-”

“That’s quite unfair, Eli,” Thrawn said, recovering from his awe and chiming in. “Ronan’s proven useful, in one way or another.”

At that, Formbi’s eyes flashed dangerously, understanding all too well the implications of Thrawn’s words. All families had been investigated and cleared of Thrawn’s treason accusations from six months ago. That wasn’t to say there existed no residual animosity.

Thrawn narrowed his eyes at the Aristocra, who was obviously struggling to maintain an appearance of diplomacy.

Thrass stepped forward, speaking quietly. “Gentlemen, is this honestly the proper time and place for this?”

They had begun to draw attention. Thrawn glimpsed security, speaking into their com devices. One of them started over.

“Mitth’ras’safis is right,” Formbi said, all false graciousness. “This is meant to be a joyous affair. Let us not dampen it with our bickering. Come, Bri.”

Ronan stuck his nose in the air and with one final glare in Eli’s direction, followed Formbi away. 

Thrawn heard Eli and Thrass’s remarks regarding the run-in, but was currently too distracted to actually listen. He was vaguely aware of the security officer casually strolling by, a gentle reminder to keep their feud under wraps. 

Thrawn stared at Eli. He was… _beautiful_ ; awe-inspiring, mesmerizing, captivating. Thrawn had never seen him do what he just did; so cool and confident. He hadn’t even known Eli could wield that kind of commanding presence. 

He was overcome with the sudden desire to take him back to their hotel room. _Now._

Eli smiled and Thrawn couldn’t help but smile, too. His smile was infectious, his kindness contagious, his abilities… 

Thrawn’s heart sank, realizing for the first time that perhaps he didn’t know Eli at all anymore. Eli was on his way to becoming the leader Thrawn knew he would be. He’d learned how, not from Thrawn, but in his absence. 

“What? Now?” Eli was saying, chuckling. “You want me to introduce you now?”

“Am I underdressed?” Thrass asked sarcastically. “Yes, now.”

Eli grinned even wider when his eyes met Thrawn’s. The human leaned up and kissed his cheek.

“Are you coming to watch this epic fail?” Eli asked, his eyes bright with mirth.

Thrawn retreated automatically. “No, I don’t think I will.”

“Alright,” Eli said, squeezing his hand. “I’ll find you after.”

Thrawn nodded, watching the two men make their way across the room to where Thrass’s blue-gowned woman sat. 

***

Hours later, following Eli shaking nearly every hand at the gala, Thrawn dismissed himself, claiming to be in need of fresh air. He wandered aimlessly through the large mansion, stopping to admire the artwork in the halls here and there.

He ended up on the grand balcony, overlooking the cityscape of Sposia. Settling himself close to a heater, he leaned on the broad balustrade. 

It was late. Most guests had gone home by now. Thrass’s new woman, Nemma, had taken him out with the other Syndics. His brother hadn’t seemed too concerned about where he’d be sleeping tonight, or how he’d get back to Csilla tomorrow. Thrawn assumed he’d hear from him in the morning.

Overall, Thrawn thought he had done a fine job of being the supportive, interested - yet not overly doting - partner of an up and coming officer. He was happy for Eli, even proud, really; he just wished all the sucking up didn’t take so long. That, and he was fairly certain the majority of said sucking up wasn’t done on Eli’s part. The Families had a thing for his human partner, that much was clear. 

His earlier realization still tore at him. The way Eli had spoke to Ronan - almost as if…almost as if he was protecting Thrawn. If Eli didn’t need protecting, and if he was defending Thrawn, what was Thrawn’s purpose?

“Hello, handsome,” Eli’s soft, accented drawl came from behind.

Thrawn turned his head at the same time his promised-mate snaked his arms around him. He pressed warm lips to Thrawn’s angular cheekbone, adding a gentle squeeze of his torso and flattening his palms against Thrawn’s broad chest. 

“Are you ready to leave?” he asked quietly.

Thrawn’s eyes fell shut, relishing the glorious, longed for question that he’d thought would never come. “Whenever you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Eli invites Thrawn to meet his Fleet friends.


	2. The Upset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli invites Thrawn to meet his Fleet friends. 
> 
> Song: Brothers in Arms - Junkie XL
> 
> Bonus song: Move Together- James Bay. I heard this song the other day and it fit too perfectly for T and E’s life as a couple in the first half of this, so I thought I’d share. It’s also just a super great song. <3 (Warning: things get spicy for about 3.5 seconds at the end of this chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Thrawn, Eli, and Thrass attended a gala; Thrass met his woman; Eli was a hot commodity; Thrawn just wanted to go home.

  
  


“Are you coming with?” Thrawn heard Eli call through the house. He was bustling around their home, grabbing his gear from the laundry room, his bag off the kitchen table and water bottle from the fridge.

Thrawn was looking out the large window in their main living space at the view over the glacier cliffside in which their house sat atop. It was mid-morning now, and the sun shone brightly, glinting off the farthest peak in the distance. He was in no rush to tear his eyes away from the scene, but he peered over his shoulder at Eli, watching him hurry about in preparation to leave. Thrawn couldn’t remember the last time he had partook in any group exercise. Most of the time he was resigned to working out alone, as Eli was often off planet and because the bureaucratic men and women Thrawn typically spent time with, lacked the physical drive he was accustomed to in the service. He didn’t mind the solitude, but it would be good for him to get out. 

“Yes,” he answered, regretfully turning away from the view.

*** 

The Fleet training center on Csilla was top of the line. It consisted of a massive gymnasium that allowed for larger groups, as well as individual rooms off to the side for trainees to become proficient in a wide variety of battle skills; hand-to-hand combat, _charric_ practice, virtual sims, and laser maze courses. There was even a pool, which comprised the largest body of water that wasn’t frozen on Csilla. Naporar’s and Rhigar’s training centers were far more extensive, as they were the main training grounds for all CEDF recruits, but Csilla’s was a close third. 

Eli’s friends greeted the human with warm smiles and elbow clasps when he and Thrawn entered the main gym. Thrawn, on the other hand, did not receive the same welcome.

“No doubt you all know Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” Eli said in flawless Cheunh. 

The men regarded him, nodding stiffly in greeting. While respected by these men, solely due to his military knowledge and past service, Thrawn was not one of them. Not anymore. 

He took in his surroundings; surprised that Eli was even able to get him inside. He guessed being the favorite human in the Ascendancy had its perks. 

Closing his eyes briefly, he listened to the familiar sounds of his old stomping grounds; the high-pitched screech of quick footwork on the polished floor, wooden sticks clacking against each other, and the distant sound of _charric_ fire all reminded him that he was both home and out of place. It had been a long time since he’d been here. Despite his nostalgia, he found himself vibrating with typical before-battle anticipation. His fingertips itched to grab the long sword, pinwheels, or any one of the various weapons on display. 

“Wanna take it easy today, Ivant?” one of the warriors asked, with a cautious glance in Thrawn’s direction. 

The others were speaking in hushed tones. He doubted they would risk discussing military matters with him present, but their general unease at his being there was all too obvious.

Eli strode over; starting to highlight the basic route of the course they were about to endure.

“I have done this before, Eli,” Thrawn said, with marked humor.

“I know, but-” the human paused at the look on Thrawn’s face. “Yeah, you’re right,” he added with a wave of his hand and a wan smile. “Of course.” 

Thrawn stepped up to the starting line, lowering his center of gravity and positioning his feet for optimal traction. His eyes met Eli’s for a half second, who grinned and winked at him.

He narrowed his focus on the flashing lights ahead. Time to find out if he still had it.

Red.

Red.

 _Green._

He dashed forward, sprinting across the room towards the pegboard mounted vertically on the wall. He hoisted himself up, one notch at a time until his shoulders burned and beads of sweat appeared at his hairline. He reached the top, and swung his body up sideways onto the narrow walkway.

He made his way to the swinging ropes, and traversed the three of them easily to climb down one of them, hand under hand, until his feet hit the floor. 

Instead of dragging the body-sized sand bag, Thrawn lifted it into the air and over his head to rest across his back. He navigated the obstacles laid before him, stepping over fallen pillars and around large boulders. Tossing the bag to the ground with an echoing thud, he moved to target practice. 

Two shots - shoulder roll behind a cargo container - three shots, and the levitating targets shut down, lowering themselves to the ground in unison. He darted forward, before the targets had even touched down. 

He raced to the next obstacle. Spotting the table of weaponry off to the side, he reached out and closed his fingers around the hilt of a knife as he ran past. A figure appeared before him, black csillacone, divots marring the material, chunks missing from its near-human shape. Without slowing, he flung the knife transversely through the air, sending it spinning towards the mannequin, the light from above glinting off its blade. 

It clattered to the ground. The mannequin remained untouched. 

He’d missed. 

He came to a skidding halt, suppressing his groan. Backtracking, he picked up two more knives, knowing he’d need them both to pass this section now. Both adrenaline and agitation coursed through his veins. 

He hurried forward, stopping this time, and easily eliminated the first figure. Drawing his arm back and aiming once more, he hit the second target squarely between the eyes. Knowing he’d have to make up the time somewhere, he took off running, shaking off the setback.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, his muscles burning, chest heaving with each ragged breath. He didn’t recall this being so difficult. 

A few more steps and he was done. Bracing himself with his hands on his knees, he willed his eyesight to focus as his rapid heartbeat lowered. Perhaps he’d pushed himself too hard. He was vaguely aware of the others applauding him. 

Eli’s laugh drew his attention, causing him to look up into his smiling face. “Well, that was impressive. Are you going to be alright?”

Thrawn straightened, his hands on his hips, and huffed out a chuckle. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Eli just smiled and tossed him a towel before turning away; it was his turn. Thrawn moved to stand behind him and off to the side, placing the towel behind his neck to soak up the sweat there. 

Eli took his mark. The light turned green and he shot off towards the far end of the room, running much faster than Thrawn remembered him being. He scaled the pegboard in no time; his lean, agile physique proving easy to maneuver up and over the ledge, across the ropes, and through the sand bag obstacle, dragging it behind him and around the barriers. 

His target practice was flawless, and then he arrived at the knife segment. Sprinting fearlessly towards the mannequin, he jammed his acquired weapon right beneath the curve of where a rib cage would be. He continued on, leaving the knife lodged in the mannequin’s torso. 

Thrawn’s eyebrows rose, chagrined that he’d never considered attempting an attack at that close of range. Eli flew past the end line, stopping the clock and ending the bout to whooping and hollering from his friends, some of them clapping him on his back. 

Thrawn clapped for him as well, though he was not part of the main celebration. He glanced at the finishing times displayed on the wall behind Eli and his cheering friends. 

He did a double take. Eli had beaten his time by 23 seconds. 

_23 seconds._

That was a long time; time he could have made up if not for his knife-throwing error. 

Eli must have seen the look on Thrawn’s face for he, too, peered up at the screen. All the warriors did; then proceeded to glance uncomfortably at Thrawn before ducking their heads and talking amongst themselves. 

Being the only one brave enough, Eli strolled to his side. A smile lingered on his handsome, glowing face from his friend’s hype and encouragement. It turned hesitant, almost apologetic when he looked up at Thrawn. That was the worse part. 

Thrawn grinned, as warmly as he could, despite the burning unrest in his gut. Eli feeling bad for him was the last thing he needed right now.

“Well done,” he told Eli. 

The human wiped his brow and smiled a tad wider, looking relieved. He wasn’t even breathing hard. 

Thrawn was proud, he was. More proud of Eli than anyone he’d ever known. He’d just missed out on so much…

_And so the protégé surpasses the mentor._

He was proud. Really, he was...

***

Thrass traversed the short distance from his brother’s home to his and Eli’s personal dojo, a separate structure detached from the main house. Another house, roughly three lots down, was still in the process of being built, meaning this particular cliffside was currently void of any other persons. It made for a very private, exclusive vibe. Thrass enjoyed it when he visited, as it was immensely contrary to what he experienced most of the time. 

Pushing the door open an inch and peering around it, he was met with the sight of his younger brother doing what he did best: destroying things. 

He strode forward, calling out over the sound of wooden sticks hitting various objects. “Heron said you were murdering someone in here,” he said, referring to Thrawn’s Aristocra-assigned “guard,” who was turning out to be more of a butler than anything. Somehow, Thrawn had befriended the man, and Thrass got the feeling that he was more loyal now to Thrawn than anyone, except for perhaps Eli.

Thrawn did not answer. Instead, he threw his sticks to the side, unbothered, and picked up a knife in each hand, twirling one of them before hurling it through the air towards his target dummy. It hit its mark. 

Thrass eyed his brother. Thrawn’s silence in response to his snarky comments was not rare, nor was it unprecedented. Still, he knew something was not right.

“How was your day?” he asked, as casually as he could. 

“Eli and I,” Thrawn finally said, his words emphasized with another toss of a blade. “…trained.”

“And…?” the older brother pried, grabbing one of the fighting sticks Thrawn had tossed to the side and mindlessly twirling it through the air. 

“It did not.” Violent throw. “Go well.”

Thrass ceased spinning the weapon and faced his brother. “Oh, so you’re pouting?”

Thrawn twisted his body, bringing his arm up over his head in a wide arc to send the blade spiraling in a backhanded throw over his shoulder and into the chest of a mannequin. “I am correcting the error.”

“Looks to me like you’re beating up objects with the inability to fight back because maybe…you lost?”

Thrawn rounded on his antagonizing sibling. “What do you want?” 

Thrass bristled at his harsh tone. “I came to invite you and Eli to the opera tomorrow night. I’m taking Nemma there and I have extra tickets.” 

“No.” Thrawn resumed his combat training. 

“C’mon, Thrawn,” Thrass exclaimed. “The two of you need to get out and do something…else.”

“Eli doesn’t like the opera.”

“No, you don’t like the opera,” Thrass corrected. His tone turned paternal. “You need to work on managing the stressors in your lives. You know, cultivate a life of…balance and…stability.”

Thrass barely had time to dodge a broken piece of a fighting stick that came hurdling towards his head.

“I’m not wrong,” Thrass insisted, straightening. He looked around, as if to seek out his answer. “Where is Eli now?

“With friends.”

“Exactly,” Thrass said. “Eli likes to go out.”

“Well it can’t be tomorrow night.” Thrawn half-conceded. He strode over to retrieve the knives and then walked back to his starting point. “Eli’s headed off planet.”

“Oh,” Thrass said, looking crestfallen. He perked up again, “Well, no matter. There’s another show in a week or two. You’ll come then.”

Thrawn huffed. He spun and threw the weapon.

“In the meantime,” Thrass continued. “And since Eli will be away, why don’t you join Nemma and I?”

“I...can’t.”

Thrass narrowed his eyes. 

“I have a meeting,” Thrawn told him, as if that justified anything. “With Sorin.”

Thrass cocked his head. Thrawn had been spending an awful lot of time with this Sorin fellow. And always coincidently when Eli was out of town. That didn’t sit well with Thrass.

“Thrawn,” he began. “I’ve never put much stake in your love life mainly because, well...because you’ve never had one, but I like Eli-“

“I like Eli, too.”

“Yes well, if-“

“Thrass,” Thrawn cut him off sharply, stopping his movements to place his hands on his hips. “I’m marrying Eli. You can’t have him.”

“Thrawn, that’s not-”

“Sirs-”

The brothers turned in unison towards the entrance to spot an astute looking Chiss wearing all black attire. His hair was long like Thrass’s, but pulled back and kept out of his face by a long braid. 

“Yes, Heron?” Thrawn asked. 

“My apologies for interrupting. Eli wanted me to inform you he’s arrived home,” the Chiss said in a proper voice, not unlike Thrawn’s. 

“Oh, wonderful,” Thrass exclaimed, enthusiastically. He started towards Heron and the exit.

Thrawn moved, obstructing his path and halting his advance. “It would be lovely to have you stay, brother. But as Eli is leaving tomorrow, _I_ would like to spend some time with him.”

“Well, that’s selfish.”

“Heron,” Thrawn called without taking his eyes off his brother. “Please see to it that Mitth’ras’safis is escorted from the premises.” 

“Are you _serious_?”

“Goodbye, Thrass.” Thrawn said over his shoulder as he left the room. 

***

Thrawn leaned against the doorframe to their bedroom, watching Eli pack a bag in preparation to leave the following morning. His hair was still damp from his shower, his towel wrapped loosely around his hips, threatening to fall from his lean frame when he walked. He was telling Thrawn, as he moved about the room, every detail of his evening. Thrawn appreciated Eli sharing these things with him. He couldn’t help but feel a little excluded, but it was better to feel that, than have Eli withhold things from him, either out of secrecy or worse, pity. 

When Eli had finally finished packing, he met Thrawn where he stood, draping his arms casually about the Chiss’s neck. He was still explaining how the restaurant owner had comped all their meals because one of Eli’s friends had stopped a brawl.

Thrawn gazed down at him, listening to him speak with an easy grin.

“You want me to stop talking, huh?” Eli asked, head tilted, eyes slightly narrowed.

Thrawn shook his head with the same lazy grin, completely content with Eli talking for as long as he wanted. Despite the awkwardness and his own irritation with this afternoon’s events, Thrawn wanted nothing more than to soak up as much of Eli’s warm rays as he could before the human left for a few days, if not longer. 

“You do,” Eli confirmed. “You’re just too kind to silence me.”

Thrawn slid his hands down Eli’s body to rest atop the curve of his hips. “And what would I say to silence you?”

Eli smirked. “You wouldn’t _say_ anything,” he said in a playful whisper.

Eli’s lips met his in a delicate kiss turned wanting, using his leverage to simultaneously pull Thrawn closer while pressing himself upwards still. Thrawn’s eyes closed as he breathed in Eli’s fresh, clean scent. The hand at the base of Thrawn’s skull, tangled and splayed through thick hair and _yanked_ , pulling the Chiss’s head back to expose more of his throat. Eli bit down on the now taut flesh there, coaxing a husky moan from Thrawn; his hold on Eli’s hips doubling, followed immediately by a forceful ripping off of his towel. 

The human chuckled as his tongue journeyed _slowly_ along Thrawn's neck, taking one earlobe in his mouth and sucking lightly before sinking his teeth there, too. Thrawn broke out in a chill of pebbled skin; arousal amplifying every time Eli put his sweet mouth on his body. He reacted with lightening speed the next time Eli’s breath ghosted over his skin; lifting the human from the ground and carrying him further into the room. He tossed him onto their bed, it’s inner workings springing, causing Eli to bounce when he hit the mattress. His laughter resonated like a joyous, uplifting melody, piercing Thrawn and compelling him to leave the day’s worries behind. 

He hovered over him, covering his mouth with his own, pressing his tongue past Eli’s parted lips to taste him, to feel his tongue slip over his. He still tasted like his favorite ale from dinner. He rolled his hips, grinding the smaller man into the forgiving mattress below, pausing only to remove his own clothing with Eli’s assistance. He did not speak, using his body as a conduit to communicate his deepest, most genuine desires. He hoped his mate felt his sincerity as they moved together, ebbing and flowing, Eli as the tide coming back to him over and over again until neither one of them could process more than the other’s labored breathing; their own heartbeats hammering against their chests. They soared; ascending to another state of being, nothing short of pure and unreserved _rapture_.

After, when a single tear slid down Eli’s cheek, Thrawn kissed the glistening line it left behind; marking the spot like a seal, of both shared bliss and sorrow alike. Tomorrow’s goodbye weighed heavy on their hearts. Thrawn held him for as long as his consciousness allowed, savoring every last, not enough - _never enough_ – moment with Eli.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Eli visits a friend.


	3. The Cherished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli visits a friend.
> 
> Song: If Elephants Could Fly - Marcus Warner  
> Tell me this doesn’t sound like little navigators running around the caves, happy as can be? Because, in my headspace, they are often happy. They deserve that. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Thrawn met Eli’s friends and took a hit to his ego; Thrass invited them to the Opera.
> 
> The next two chapters definitely got away from me as they were only supposed to be one, But! instead of having one monstrous chapter, I made two! It’s one of my favorites, and I had a lot to say about it. I hope that's ok. :)

Eli guided his shuttle over the colorless, barren landscape botched with canyons and deep ravines, completely void of any grasslands or fields. Spectacular peaks rose from the ground in the distance, snow capped mountains reaching up towards the sky, their jagged design visible even from this distance. No military bases or cities littered the land, the soil here less than ideal for providing the basis of sound infrastructure. Much of the land was used for military enterprises, and was therefore left fruitless for anything other than training exercises. Eli knew the only life forms on this side of the planet resided in the caves of the indigo mountains ahead. They were his destination, and where he had been instructed to rendezvous with Vah’nya.

He’d missed his friend in the time she’d been stationed on Naporar. She no longer felt comfortable guiding ships through the many gravity wells and solar storms that made travel in the Unknown Regions near impossible, so she had requested to be reassigned. That had taken her from the _Steadfast_ , Eli’s home vessel, and lead her here. 

Eli would have preferred to travel here with Thrawn but he could only push his luck so far. Visits to the Navigator’s School was strictly Fleet business, therefore Vah’nya had only invited Eli. Apart from the inappropriateness and illegality of Thrawn accompanying him on his work trips, it was probably better for Thrawn to be alone right now anyways. He’d been the one to suggest Eli go out with friends the night before and Eli knew it had been so he could stay home and blow off some steam. He recharged during solitude. That’s just how Thrawn was, and Eli was nothing if not accepting of that. 

Thrawn’s expression at the training center had been carefully controlled, the array of emotions masked by polite encouragement. There’d been an underlying reservation hidden beneath his veneer of pride in Eli. It wasn’t jealousy, Eli deduced, it was disappointment, and it hadn’t been in Eli. 

He huffed out a sigh of resignation as he circled the landing terrace, lowering his shuttle to the platform. Things were never easy for him and Thrawn. 

He shut down the controls and hopped up from the pilot’s chair. Activating the landing ramp, he strode down it and breathed in the pure, crisp mountain air.

“Well, well, well,” a voice said in good cheer. “If it isn’t the Fourth Family’s most prized adoptee.” 

He rolled his eyes, smiling at Vah’nya as they met in the middle of the platform. The wind blew through, chilling Eli’s exposed fingertips. He moved to clasp Vah’nya’s elbow in greeting. She laughed at him, and then pulled him in for a warm embrace. She released him, allowing him to promptly tuck his hands into his pockets. Her red eyes scanned him over, taking in his black CDF uniform, the patch on his shoulder, his bearded chin. He knew he looked different than when they served together, older probably. He smiled at her, hoping that looked familiar. 

“It is good to see you, Eli,” she said. 

“Likewise,” he replied. “The _Steadfast_ hasn’t been the same without you.” 

Vah’nya flashed a knowing smile then tossed her head back towards the cave entrance when she noticed his frigid posture. The cold wasn’t unfamiliar to him, but he was still human. 

Eli followed Vah’nya to the mouth of the cave, stretching up fifty feet high. He craned his neck upwards, his eyes continuing past the top of the opening to the clouds above, restricting his view of the summit. Vah’nya stopped, gesturing to a narrow pathway, lined with two taut cords that followed the curve of the rock until they disappeared around a bend. 

“That leads to the girl’s quarters,” Vah’nya told him. “The mess hall, and their leisure areas for down time.” 

Eli turned to her, surprised. “They remain here for an extended period?”

“You can’t expect them to hang out in the stars all year,” Vah’nya said with a grin. “They are still children, after all.”

“You and Ar’alani must butt heads about that,” Eli assumed with a grin.

His friend eyed him strangely at that, but answered the unspoken question. “I recognize the need for adherence to military protocol, but they’re only girls.”

“Do you have any boys right now?”

“No,” Vah’nya said with a shake of her head. “We haven’t since Ba’Kal.”

“So they stay here,” Eli said, glancing back along the treacherous looking pathway. “When they’re not on duty?”

“That is where they sleep and play, yes,” she looked at him, a sly grin gracing her lips. “Would you like to see where they study?”

Eli’s eyes lit up with his smile and she took that as a yes, walking them to the center of the cave. “I should tell you,” she said, “visitors aren’t typically allowed here. We should be cautious, and very quiet-”

“ELI!” a young girls’ shout echoed in the vast cave entrance.

Both adults turned to face the girl sprinting towards them, black hair waving behind her in the breeze as she ran, red eyes gleaming. She slid to a halt on the ice in front of them.

“Hello, Un’hee,” Eli said with a broad smile.

“It’s Lieutenant Commander Ivant,” Vah’nya admonished her gently, and Un’hee’s bright grin dimmed just a little.

Eli waved her off. “It’s fine. We’re not on the bridge.”

Vah’nya gave him an withering look before asking the girl, “Where is your Iris, Un’hee?” 

Un’hee looked around, as if to searching for something. “Not here,” she responded cheerfully. She perked up even more when she turned to Eli. “I can take you to them. They’ll want to meet the human.”

_“Un’hee.”_

“Sorry,” the young girl muttered, ducking her head in mild trepidation. She hesitantly reached out and took Eli’s hand, pulling him towards the cave. “C’mon,” she whispered, with a quick glance at her older sister. “I’ll show you.”

Receiving a conceding look from Vah’nya, that Eli knew held more affection for the younger girl than exasperation, he allowed himself to be lead into the cave. 

They walked in silence for a long while, Un’hee gripping Eli’s hand and leading him forward. Vah’nya followed quietly behind. While the entrance was wide and welcoming, as they ventured deeper, Eli noticed the cave walls narrowing slightly, the light from outside fading as they continued on. The air was warmer in here, somewhat dank but not unpleasant. He glanced back over his shoulder, at the mouth of the cave, which was now a small dot of white light.

It was at this point that lanterns appeared spaced out along the cave walls, laden into the uneven stone and illuminating their way with a soft glow. They passed a handful of adjoining tunnels, but continued on down the main path, heading farther still into what was sure to be a labyrinth of passageways. Eli turned his head when he heard the faint sound of a child’s laughter down one of the side tunnels, but saw nothing.

They veered off the main route and walked along another dimly lit path. A glimmer on the wall ahead caught Eli’s eye. Their small group passed a light fixture and beneath it, shimmering in the light, writing was either etched or painted into the stone, Eli couldn’t tell. They passed another lantern and Eli’s head swiveled, his eyes squinting to try and make out the design in the rock.

Un’hee, looking behind her to glimpse Eli’s interested expression, smiled at the man and abruptly turned left down the next tunnel, practically pulling him along as he trailed behind her. They arrived at two large wooden doors, definitely out of place against the rough rock walls, but Eli could tell these doors had been here for a very long time. They were not shiny and pristine, but worn and almost welcomed into the rock as if grown to be a part of it. 

“Look,” Un’hee whispered to him, eyes bright with excitement and maybe even pride, Eli thought. She pushed the doors open with both hands. With a loud creak, they gave way to a large, cavernous chamber with hundreds of lanterns situated into the walls. 

Eli cast Vah’nya a sidelong look, hesitant to enter the space and knowing that, as a human and outsider, he was probably not welcomed. The invitation of a girl, while incredibly appreciated, was not allowance to learn navigator secrets. Vah’nya, however, just grinned and graciously urged him on with a nudge of her chin.

He entered, strolling to the side of the room to finally take in the markings. They weren’t words like he had originally thought; they were drawings. Ancient hieroglyphics, if he had to guess, carved into the rock, chipped away to uncover the silvery sheen beneath. 

The drawings, like the doors, had been here a very long time and were difficult to discern. Leaning close, however, he could make out what looked to be old style warships, drawings of hands, eyes, groups of young girls, and symbols he didn’t understand. He took a step back and looked around. Millions of years of history had to be on these walls. The thought of that, and the inability to wrap his head around it, left him awed. 

Un’hee materialized at his side. He watched as she reached up and ran her fingertips over the drawings. She motioned for him to come down. He lowered himself to kneeling before her and she ran a single finger down the bridge of his nose. She repeated the same gesture on her own nose, leaving behind a beautiful, glimmering line of silver against her dark blue skin. 

“You can’t be one of us,” she said quietly, with a regrettable shake of her head. “But we can pretend.”

She waited until he smiled at her before turning and diving into an explanation of the carvings; what they signified, what they meant to the navigators, what they meant to _her_. Eli caught sight of Vah’nya, wanting to be sure this was alright, but she was paying little attention to him at this point, following them on their path around the chamber, eyeing the drawings of their ancestors. 

When Un’hee had finished her presentation she turned to him and again motioned for him to lower himself to her level. She wiped the silver marking off both of their noses with her sleeve.

“We’re leaving the Commemoration Chamber now,” she told him in the same soft voice. “You can’t speak of it once we leave, got it?”

He nodded once. “Got it.”

***

Un’hee led them back the way they came, and then onward for another couple of minutes. They came to a stop outside yet another door, but this one was metal and much smaller. Without preamble, she threw open the door to reveal three more young Chiss girls sitting in the center of a small room. Eli squinted from the bright lighting. There were four tables and chairs, but the girls sat in a circle on the ground, chatting and seemingly distracted, their schoolwork left forgotten on their desks.

Eli was met with six pairs of curious red eyes staring up at him when he entered.

“This is Ray’ne,” Un’hee began, stepping besides the girls as she introduced them. “This is Ru’ta, and Den’ali.”

The girls smiled shyly up at him, and one of them waved. They were all different ages; one younger than Un’hee, two older. 

“This is Hazel Iris,” Un’hee said with a dramatic sigh. 

“Nice to meet you all,” Eli said with a gentle smile.

Vah’nya stepped around Eli, kindly chiding the girls and telling them to resume their studies. One of the girls, the youngest, approached Eli before making her way back to her seat. “Hello, Commander.”

Eli squatted down next to her and gave her his best smile. “Hello. You can call me Eli.”

The girl shuffled her feet, looked to Vah’nya to make sure she wasn’t watching, then continued. “Un’hee told us about you…she said…that you’ll protect us. From the Grysks, if you can.”

Eli noticed how little she was, he’d guessed probably around seven. Her hands were tiny, her eyes small compared to an adults. He was still blown away that these girls; these _children,_ were expected to pilot their massive war vessels, lead them into battle, and guide them safely out of it. 

“I will,” Eli told her, surprised at how even his voice sounded. His smile faded, and he suddenly felt a wave of real purpose crash over him. The girl grinned and spun around, skipping to take her seat. Eli remained where he was, watching the girls’ talk and smile and laugh. There was nothing he would not do for them. 

He stood only when Vah’nya approached. “I have something to show you,” she said to him and walked swiftly from the room. With one last glance at the quieting girls, he followed her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Vah’nya has something to share with Eli.


	4. The Plea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vah'nya has something to share with Eli.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Eli was shown something special by Vah’nya and Un’hee; he met some of Un’hee’s sisters.

Vah’nya led him down yet another dimly lit tunnel. The passageway seemed especially dark to Eli after being in the girl’s brightly lit study room. 

“So,” Eli wondered. “Their Iris’s…I assume they represent a clan of some sort? And they study together?”

“Yes,” Vah’nya’s soft voice trailed behind her. “Until they’re transferred to a vessel.”

“They all go together?”

Vah’nya chuckled. “Well, it wouldn’t do to stick a child on a ship of strangers without her sisters, would it?”

Eli grinned. “Guess not.” He’d never stopped to think about how the stationing of navigators worked.

They stopped and moved aside, to allow another group of girls the right of way. Their red eyes looked curiously up at Eli, but none of them spoke as they passed.

“We attempt to have groups of four girls,” Vah’nya began as they moved down the corridor, “all different ages, which allows the older girls to help the younger. They study together here when they’re not on duty, and travel together when they are assigned a ship. They’re typically stationed here for a few months before being sent out again,” she said, answering Eli’s next question. 

The tunnel began to slope slightly downward, bringing them deeper into the cave.  


They continued on in silence before Eli ventured. “How is she doing? Un’hee, I mean?”

“Well.” Vah’nya answered, after a brief pause. “A little…different than the others.”

“Different is not a bad thing.”

Vah’nya looked at him, at his tan human skin, and grinned. “No, it is not.” She hesitated, evident only by her slightly parted lips and small frown, before asking. “How is Mitth’raw’nuruodo?”

“He’s fine.”

She turned her piercing gaze to him, and did not look away. Vah’nya was his friend, and she would know when he was keeping something from her.

“He’s struggling,” she deduced. “You both are.”

“Things are different now,” he said, unable to meet her eye.

“Your lives have changed,” she agreed. “And there’s no guarantee they will not continue to do so.”

Eli met her gaze now, wondering what she was referring to. If she had meant to be reassuring, she had failed miserably. 

They came to a darkened room and Vah’nya stopped outside. This room, unlike the others, had a large window in which one could observe through. Vah’nya peered inside, so Eli followed suit.

In the room was a single figure, a girl a little older than Un’hee perhaps. She lay on her back, hooked up to a heart monitor, a feeding tube, and various lines. The room was void of anything else. He shot a mildly disturbed, fleeting look at Vah’nya. Surely these caves weren’t doubling as a hospital.

She leaned forward to peer further into the room, her head tilted up towards the ceiling. Eli frowned but copied her, careful not to press his nose against the glass, and turned his gaze upwards. They observed together, five floating objects above the girl, hovering near the ceiling. 

“What is this?” Eli whispered, unsure whether or not he to wanted to know the answer. 

Vah’nya smiled; an awe inspired grin. “Your work, Eli.” 

The shock resonated within Eli, momentarily unable to process the knowledge. He retreated from the glass, staring at his friend. 

She glimpsed his face, grinning wider at his dumbstruck expression. “Your data analysis has led us to believe that while in somnia, a navigator cannot only use her abilities to heal, but also enhance.”

A short breath of air escaped Eli. He found himself in disbelief, wonder, and he couldn’t help it, a small ounce of pride. He’d been crunching numbers for years now and nothing seemed to come of it. Now, finally: some results. If it hadn’t been for that one mission when the _Steadfast_ had coordinated with the _Chimaera_ and rescued Un’hee...the one where Thrawn...

But he’d apologized for that; many times, and they had moved on.

That mission had given Eli the initial idea to study the effects of somnia. It was more than gratifying to see that it had paid off.

He refocused his attention on the young girl before him, marveling at what she could do; powers that only the Jedi possessed. Eli had never met a Jedi, but he’d heard of them. Before he met Thrawn, he felt the same way about the Chiss. They were creatures of legend and myth: powerful and equally dangerous. 

“Unfortunately,” Vah’nya said, interrupting his thoughts. “It does take some time to reach that point.”

Eli’s eyes flashed to the floating objects. “How long has she been like this?”

“This time?” Vah’nya asked, with a perfunctory shrug. “Two weeks.” 

Eli’s concern grew. He wasn’t overly keen at the idea of putting any navigators at risk. “That’s a little dangerous, isn’t it?”

Vah’nya smiled again. “We are careful,” she said, motioning for him to follow her. “Plus, it gets easier.” 

They arrived at another window. Eli, knowing he did not need permission this time, leaned in, squinting in order to see more clearly inside the darkened room.

Two navigators, probably around eleven or twelve, were seated on the floor, not lying down as the other had been. There were no tubes or lines attached to these girls. They sat completely unmoving, palms on their knees, heads bowed, eyes closed. The only objects inside the room, apart from the mats the girls sat on, were floating above them, revolving in a circular pattern ten feet above their heads. 

“How do they do it?” Eli asked, finding himself astonished.

“How do any of us progress at anything?” Vah’nya asked him, smiling as well. “ _Practice_.”

Eli looked sideways at her, “Can you do it, too?”

She paused before answering, lowering her gaze for a moment. “I have not wished to try. My Sight has faded considerably. I am where I am most needed now; here, passing on what I know to the younger generation.”

“I think you should try.”

“We shall see,” was all she said. She kept her eyes forward, watching the objects circling above the girls with a distant expression.

“Every participant volunteers,” Vah’nya told him in a quiet tone. “Most of them are eager to learn, even if that means weeks spent under somnia. They’re learning well.” Just as she spoke, one of the objects above the girls tumbled from the air, bouncing lightly on the floor and off to the side. The girl sat up straight, opened her eyes and stood to leave through the door in the back of the room. “But it’s slow going.” 

“Still,” Vah’nya said, sighing and gesturing for him to follow her once again. “Progress is progress and it’s because of you that we’ve gotten this far.”

Eli smiled as he trailed behind her, back through the twists and turns of the tunnels. “Happy to help.” 

“We are grateful for it,” she said. “There is hope now that with more advanced abilities, the girl’s will be able to hold onto them for longer. Somnia, or variants of it, could be key in securing the future of the Ascendency.”

When Eli first arrived in Chiss space, he’d been disappointed, to say the least, at being shoved to the side. When Ar’alani had told him what the numbers he was sifting through truly represented, he’d been floored with a new sense of purpose. He knew his work was just the beginning, but he was proud to be here at the start. 

Hope, indeed.

***

Dinnertime in the navigator’s mess hall was _loud_ , a hundred little girls talking enthusiastically and laughing with no sense of volume control. The navigators Eli had come in contact with aboard the _Steadfast_ had always been subdued, respectful and polite. Here, while still expected to study and learn, Eli realized that their inherent wonder was not suppressed, and they were free to just be, without the pressures of navigating a warship on their shoulders. 

Eli kept his tray above the heads of the girls weaving and darting quickly around him as he made his way across the hall. He stopped in front of Un’hee, and with her small nod of approval, sat across from her. Her face did not hold the same carefree joy it had earlier in the day. He smiled at her, hoping that would spark to life some of that previous light. 

She watched him eat, leaving her own plate untouched for a handful of minutes.

Gathering that perhaps she had something to say to him, he lowered his utensils. “How was your day?” he asked her. 

“I never thanked you for rescuing me,” Un’hee told him abruptly. “You, Admiral Ar’alani, and Admiral Thrawn.”

Eli grinned. “You are very welco-”

“I waited,” she continued in a small voice. “For years I waited for someone to find me. There was no guarantee that anyone would ever have come for me.”

Eli’s heart ached at the hurt in her voice. He tried to say as gently as he could, “But we did come.”

She met his gaze with dead eyes, her accent thickened. “I got lucky. Most don’t.”

Eli wanted to tell her that they were trying; that they had people tracking missing navigators as they spoke, that they were doing everything in their power to bring back their stolen girls. But his words would be only words to her. He swallowed, finding his mouth dry and his tongue lacking any meaningful speech. 

“I would have rather have died,” Un’hee said. “Than have been taken.”

It was as though a hand had closed around Eli’s throat. Her gaze dropped to her lap and she shook her head, a small crease appearing between her brows.

She lifted her eyes to his. “Do you know how many navigators we’ve lost, Commander?” 

“Un’hee.” It was Vah’nya, speaking harshly across the table. 

Un’hee glanced at her then snapped her attention back to Eli, leaning over the table and whispering, quick and sharp before Vah’nya could cut her off. “Don’t let them take any more of us.”

Vah’nya stood and Un’hee swiftly left the table, hurrying from the mess hall.

Eli stared at the space she’d just occupied; sick, tears brimming his eyes, a sudden rush of undeniable and incomprehensible weight placed on his shoulders. He blinked, swallowed and looked up to find his friend watching him. She crossed over and sat down in the seat Un’hee had just occupied. 

“I’m sorry, Eli.”

He shook his head, staring at his plate. “It’s nothing you would’ve have said.”

Silence feel between them, the light-hearted laughter from the girls around them seeming too unbearable of a contrast to the dread and gravity of his now heavy heart.

“She is not wrong,” Vah’nya muttered, just loud enough for Eli to hear over the echoing noises of the hall. “And we cannot save them all.”

“We can try.” Eli pressed, ever the optimist.

Vah’nya paused, for the span of three heartbeats. Eli watched as her jaw clenched and unclenched. “Death would be showing them mercy,” she finally said. “The Grysks are merciless.”

“I know.”

“You don’t.”

Her hard gaze met his. He’d spoken carelessly. He knew that she, just as well as Un’hee, understood what captives of the Grysks endured. Eli knew nothing. A chill ran up his spine, a numbing frost coursing through his body, as if his blood had turned to ice. If they hadn’t found Un’hee, what more would she have fallen victim too? 

“Your promise to me-”

“Always,” he replied instinctively. 

She blinked at him. The corner of her mouth twitched downward and her eyes glistened. Knowing her sisters would be safe, exempt of any suffering, was all she asked.

“It’ll always stand.” 

***

Eli stood in the snow, on the platform near his shuttle, surrounded by young girls dressed in thick, warm jackets.

“Go home to Mitth’raw’nuruodo, Eli’van’to,” one of them was saying, pushing him gently towards his ship.

“Bye, Commander Ivant.”

“Fly home safe!”

He chuckled. “Goodbye, and thank you.”

Un’hee stood off to the side, her arms clasped behind her back, away from Eli and Vah’nya, who was now prying him away from the girls, shooing them off. She walked with him to the edge of his ship’s ramp.

He glanced back. The girls were heading back along the narrow walkway, their voices and laughter reverberating off the mountainside. They faded the farther they hiked and still Un’hee stood on the platform, watching Eli and Vah’nya. She was staring at him with an unreadable expression, the glow of her red eyes in vivid contrast to the white of the falling snow.

“Have I done something wrong?” Eli asked Vah’nya.

Vah’nya turned to glance at Un’hee as well. “No,” she reassured her friend as the young girl finally spun around to follow her sisters inside. “That’s just Un’hee.”

Eli huffed out an unsatisfied sigh.

Vah’nya grinned at him, although it did not fully reach her eyes. “I wouldn’t be worried about it, Eli.”

The human wouldn’t say so, but he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to avoid being worried about a navigator’s…threat? Warning? _Plea._

He said goodbye to Vah’nya and boarded his shuttle, slipping into the pilots seat, and shaking the snow from his hair. He departed the planet and headed to Csilla and Thrawn, unable to avoid replaying his interactions over and over again in his head the whole way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Thrawn and Eli attempt to spend an evening together.


	5. The Norm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn and Eli attempt to spend an evening together. 
> 
> Song: The Gift- Gavin Luke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Eli learned a little of what the Navigators are working on with the help of his research; Vah’nya reminded him of his promise.
> 
> We're back ~ yay! Thanks for checking back in. <3  
> Heads up: this chapter is dense. There are some things that just need to be said/done/felt before we move on! There’s also mild spice scattered throughout this chapter. (They are in love after all!)

Eli’s transport was parked in its usual spot when Thrawn arrived home. No lights shown from the inside, leading the Chiss to assume the human was asleep. He sighed aloud. The Lt. Commander had returned to Csilla that evening after a business trip that took him to various CDF outposts. Thrawn was left in the dark as to what Eli did on these trips. He just knew the Navigators were involved, and he’d only gleaned that information because Eli had let it slip one day that he was working with Vah’nya.

A minor, but nonetheless very real, twinge of nervousness made him cringe when he received Eli’s ETA to Csilla. He himself was still three hours out, returning from Csaus where he’d spent the last couple days visiting Sorin. Now he had the unfortunate privilege of testing his stealth skills, quietly sneaking into his own home to avoid waking his partner. 

Their home, a nice - mere step down from lavish, really – four bedroom residence was perched atop one of the many development glaciers, typically reserved for higher-ranking members of the Families. In truth, Thrass had pulled some strings, and Eli had liked the view. So they bought it.

He parked his vehicle and on his way to the front door kicked a few stray ice chunks out of his path. Crossing the threshold into the house, he paused in the entryway to turn the lights on low.

Deciding to let the human rest a bit more and delay any confrontation, Thrawn stepped into his office and gingerly placed his bag on the floor next to his terminal. He rotated the screen away from the doorway just in case Eli walked in and opened the updates from Sorin. 

His former shipmate and current friend had proven infinitely useful over the better half of the last year. Thrawn felt immeasurably grateful for his support, as his project certainly wouldn’t have been possible without him. 

He froze at the squeak of a door and the pattering of light footsteps coming towards his office. As much as he disliked having his partner away weeks at a time, his absence created the perfect opportunity for Thrawn to do some traveling and planning of his own. Having Eli home, while wonderful, could often times be problematic. 

He acknowledged receiving Sorin’s messages and saved the information to his encrypted, incognito hard drive before closing the files, leaving only one open…his _actual_ work.

The human poked his head around the door, tousled hair sticking up in all directions. He was clothed in one of Thrawn’s lounge shirts, the edge of his briefs peeking out under the long hem. It was entirely too big on him, though not as large as it would have been before Eli joined the Ascendancy. His tan face broke into a beautiful smile and his warm, brown eyes lit up. 

Even after being apart for only a couple weeks, seeing Eli for the first time never failed to elicit a pleasant stirring in his gut that was always accompanied by an overwhelming sense of home. 

“Hello, Eli,” Thrawn said softly into the silence. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Eli said, sleepily. “Unfortunately. Why didn’t you?”

“You needed rest,” Thrawn said, pushing himself to a standing position and joining him in the doorway. “I would have been here when you woke.”

Eli returned Thrawn’s embrace, noting the tenderness in it, or rather the lack of strength. Was work so exhausting for him lately?

The human pulled back, searching his gaze with curiosity. “Where were you?”

“Working,” Thrawn replied automatically.

Eli remained silent, but there was no denying his disbelief that manifested in a slight narrowing of his eyes.

“Let me shower,” Thrawn offered, changing the subject. “Then we can reacquaint ourselves.”

Eli knew what that meant. He also knew when to push Thrawn for information and when not to. So although he didn’t fully believe him he gave the Chiss a small, conceding smile. Thrawn’s lips grazed his forehead before he retreated to the ‘fresher. 

Eli stood before their main living space window, looking out over the glacier at the array of constellations. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure move, appearing at the edge of the window and twisting the dial on the wall to activate the privacy shield. He watched as the glass turned a slightly darker shade of tint to dim the view in front of him. It would appear completely black to any brave soul peering in. 

He turned to where Thrawn stood and was instantly taken by a wave of flagrant arousal at the sight, settling hot and urgent in his lower abdomen. He swallowed and found his mouth watering. Thrawn’s hair was still damp, hanging loosely in a frame about his face. It was a little longer now than how he wore it as an Imperial and Eli couldn’t say he was upset. It vaguely reminded him of when they’d first met. 

The Chiss had neglected to cover his top half, granting Eli permission to rake over his chiseled, cerulean frame. He skimmed over the hard body with zero reserve, taking in the corded muscles of his shoulders and the deep fissures of his abs. His eyes descended to the hard line above his waistband, mirrored by a second cut that traveled down and inward to meet below, suggestive, inviting… 

Eli blinked and lifted his eyes to the alluring glow of Thrawn’s in the darkness. After all these years, despite whatever personal difficulties they were enduring, the sight of Thrawn still floored him as much as it had a decade ago.

He knew that he had gained a profound sense of respect from Thrawn. The Chiss had always valued him even when no one else had, but that value had since transitioned to reverence; a sentiment Eli understood intimately because it was how he felt toward Thrawn. They were equals now. Eli’s former commanding officer was not the dominant party of their relationship any longer and he was learning that Thrawn had a softer side to him that he’d never known before. He chalked it up to the years when Thrawn didn’t have him; that sense of unfulfilled yearning making their time together now all the more treasured.

Thrawn appeared reluctant, almost wounded at times. That’s not to say that he wouldn’t, at other times, pin Eli against a wall and ravage his body with untamed abandon until he was shouting ungodly things, but there was something different in the way he held him after; something ceremonial. 

Eli also figured that Thrawn’s hesitations might be in direct response to feeling like he couldn’t reach his full potential in the position that he was currently in. Eli agreed with him on that, although he often chose not to voice it, finding that fueling the fire was futile. 

He grinned at Thrawn from across the room by way of invitation. The Chiss let out a breath, a subtle shift in his body hinting towards…relief? 

The human sighed inwardly. It had been months since Thrawn had returned from the Empire and he’d been trying to make up for what he called his “moment of unworthy possession” since his return. Eli had tried to dissuade him of his need to prove himself; the argument was over and there was nothing to do now but move forward together. It was difficult, however, with Eli being gone for months at a time. It was like starting over with Thrawn every time he came home. 

Dealing with the aftermath of Thrawn’s return was turning out to be more complex than Eli had foreseen. Thrawn was still hell bent on remaining loyal to the Mitth Family even if they were not loyal to him. And Eli, in a surprising and odd turn of events, was actually a _valued_ member of the Fourth Family. He was invited to dinners and asked his opinion on a variety of matters, including the justice system and marriage in the military. People actually seemed to give a damn about him, unlike in the Empire. People _listened_ to him. 

And what was more, Thrawn was invited to these events as well and _welcomed_. It made no sense to Eli, however, since the Fourth Family was one of the Houses that voted for Thrawn’s exile, but perhaps they were curious to learn more about the unruly Chiss the human was always talking about. 

Eli had a sneaking suspicion that Thrawn and his brother had insight as to why his Family included Thrawn. At the parties, Eli frequently caught a comment or shared look between the brothers that was laden with something he didn’t understand. But then again, when it came to the Families there was plenty that flew over his head. 

Thrawn and Eli’s different viewpoints regarding their loyalties would never be completely resolved, but Eli had to believe their faith in each other and their relationship’s utter resilience would win out in the end. 

Movement from behind brought him out of his musings as large hands came up to knead the knots in his shoulders, massaging the tension from his neck. He breathed out, long and grateful.

“I am glad you are home safe,” Thrawn whispered. 

Eli couldn’t help but chuckle. “As am I, but we’ve been apart for far longer.”

He fell into the warm, comforting embrace as Thrawn’s arms came around and pulled him to his chest, which expanded when he breathed in deep. “The Chaos is growing. Being apart for any length of time is…distressing.”

Eli’s brow furrowed. “You know you can’t protect me from everything, right Thrawn? Nor do you need to.”

Thrawn did not reply. 

Eli turned in his arms, projecting his voice more strongly. “Thrawn?”

He wasn’t sure Thrawn would respond even then. His gaze was averted, his expression almost one of defiance. But the Chiss eventually muttered, “I will still try.”

Eli suppressed a frustrated sigh. Thrawn would always attempt to accomplish the impossible. The thing was, more often than not he’d find a way to make the impossible happen. 

“I’m sorry it’s like this,” he said quietly when Thrawn still wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“I do not blame you, Eli.”

“Maybe not,” he said, “but you’re still upset.”

Finally meeting his gaze, Thrawn smiled affectionately and brushed the back of his fingers along the curve of his cheek. “I can not marry the man I love. Do I not have a right to be upset about that?”

Eli’s heart quickened like it always did when this topic was breached and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. Just as Eli knew Thrawn was keeping things from him, Eli was also biding his time until the right moment. “That’s not _my_ fault, Thrawn,” Eli said, steeling himself for an argument.

Before Eli could say anything else Thrawn covered his lips with his own, effectively silencing him. “I did not come out here to argue with you.”

Eli relaxed in his arms. He could never be sure if his irritation stemmed from Thrawn’s words, or his own worrisome thoughts. He knew there was more to Thrawn’s misgivings, but he let it go and instead leaned in to press his lips against the other man’s, faint and fleeting. He broke away and turned in Thrawn’s arms to once again take in the beautiful night sky. 

“I have missed you,” Thrawn told him, his grip tightening ever so slightly on Eli’s hips, pulling him back against his groin. 

“Same,” Eli said with a smirk. 

Thrawn mouthed at the delicate skin of Eli’s neck, a soft gasp escaping the human in response as his arms broke out in tiny bumps. 

When was the first time they’d done this? Eli couldn’t recall. Ten years ago? Fifteen? He had slept with the same man for fifteen years. The thought brought a smile to his lips. They had spent so many years of their lives together out in the stars. Eli would never have thought this was where they’d end up. 

“What are you thinking about?” Thrawn whispered in his ear, catching sight of his lazy grin.

How to answer honestly? “The stars.”

“Do you miss them already?” Thrawn teased.

Eli turned his head to catch Thrawn out of the corner of his eye. “Do you?”

The question was far more loaded for Thrawn than it was for Eli. The former Grand Admiral was still becoming accustomed to his new role in the Ascendancy. It did not involve space travel, or even setting foot on a Chiss warship for that matter. He was not quite acclimated to a “desk job” as he called it. He was used to being among the stars. 

“Sometimes,” Thrawn answered as he peered out at the darkened sky.

Eli knew it was more frequent than ‘sometimes.’ 

“There is still a chance you could be reinstated,” he offered.

Thrawn was silent for a moment before answering in a detached and unaffected tone. “Perhaps.” 

Hope and comfort was what Eli had been going for, but that was difficult to convey with so much uncertainty. 

Thrawn clearly did not want to continue the conversation as he busied his mouth once more, taking Eli’s ear between his teeth and lightly pulling the sensitive flesh. 

His head fell back onto Thrawn’s shoulder, relaxing against the strong body behind him and allowing him to do as he pleased. He rolled his hips, grinding back into Thrawn and earning himself a wanton moan. 

Needing there to be less material between them, the Chiss curled his long fingers under the hem of Eli’s shirt, leaving behind electric heat where his fingertips grazed his thighs. He lifted the fabric, slipping it halfway up Eli’s slender body. 

Beep. Beep. Beep.

 _Not now._

Thrawn hoped Eli would let it go. 

He didn’t.

Hastily pulling his shirt back into place, Eli snatched up his com device and quickly switched off its incessant chirping. Without a second glance toward Thrawn he brought the com to his ear and answered with a brisk, “This is Ivant.”

Disappearing into their room, he reemerged moments later with his pants and snow boots. He made a face and mouthed ‘sorry’ to him on his way out. 

Thrawn suppressed his growl and rearranged the front of his trousers, doing a little hop to get things to lay right. He’d grown used to having his partner pulled away for some crisis or another, but it still irked him every time he was left hard in his pants after Eli did that _thing_ with his hips. 

Down the hall, the back door shut with a soft thud. He shuffled to the kitchen where he could watch Eli through the frost-covered window, standing outside in the snow in his large, puffy jacket and giving off the appearance of a walking igloo. 

He paced back and forth, talking into his com and kicking the snow around, the fresh stuff falling lightly on his shoulders and hood. This was their usual routine. Eli often escaped outside for his conversations with Vah’nya or Ar’alani or anything that Thrawn didn’t have the clearance to hear. Eli laughed and tossed his head back, his hood sliding off to reveal brown hair and a bright smile - probably Vah’nya, then.

Thrawn had lost such large chunks of time with Eli over these last months that he felt he hardly knew the man anymore. He was home for maybe a week or two at a time before being sent out again, lost in the stars somewhere and protecting Thrawn’s people. 

Thrawn huffed; he should be protecting his own people. 

It was worse since Eli was not allowed to speak of his missions or what they found, which led Thrawn to feel even more excluded. He was all for letting the human shine, don’t get him wrong. His promised bond-mate was exceptionally good at what he did and deserved all the best things in the galaxy, but it was still a difficult pill to swallow. Even more so because Thrawn did not, in the least, consider himself the “best in the galaxy” lately. 

Over the last few months, Thrawn had come to the realization that Eli was a force to be reckoned with, stepping gracefully into a position of authority all on his own. Eli had made it very clear after Thrawn’s return to the Ascendancy that his need to control Eli’s life was one, no longer necessary and two, would not be tolerated. It was a habit that was difficult to break, but Thrawn recognized it to be essential if they hoped to balance the scales of their relationship.

Sighing heavily, he moved to the ‘fresher for the second phase of their usual routine. He sat on the side of the tub, fiddling with the knob to alter the temp until it was the right degrees. He made it a little warmer, just in case Eli took longer than normal. The human would often spend too long outside, becoming a waddling popsicle before finally deciding to come in from the cold. 

Thrawn waited for the tub to fill and then left the ‘fresher, leaving a clean towel on the counter for Eli. He’d check on him later.

  
  


After fifteen minutes of Eli being back inside, Thrawn curiously poked his head around the ‘fresher door and grinned when Eli caught sight on him. He hadn’t fallen asleep this time so Thrawn was content to let him be.

“Thrawn,” Eli gently called him back. His gaze was sweet, questioning, and holding all the promise in the world. “Stay?”

Warmth and longing traveled from Thrawn’s core to his groin at the sight of Eli naked in the tub and beckoning him to join him. How was he supposed to say no to that? 

He stepped inside and undressed as Eli watched him with his face half submerged, just two intensely keen brown eyes poking above the water. 

Thrawn chuckled. “Is it hard to breath like that?”

Bubbles erupted in the water near Eli’s nose and mouth as he laughed. He scooted forward to make room for Thrawn and the Chiss lowered himself into the warm water behind him, sliding down until their bodies were perfectly slotted against one another. He held Eli in his arms, completely content with just soaking up this moment. 

He bent his head to kiss the top of Eli’s damp hair. It was late, or early rather; this was the perfect ending to his long day. 

All days in the Ascendancy seemed long, even longer than they had in the Empire. A dull irritation, like embers refusing to die, still simmered in his core at the thought of all the sacrifices he’d made and how everything he’d done had been meant to save his people; how he had worked tirelessly to make the Empire stronger to prepare it for battle against the Grysks.

How it had all been a waste.

And now he was an advisor - also a waste - wanting to rip his hair out every day from feeling ashamed of his meaningless life.

Except… _Eli._

Eli had not been a waste. Eli would always be the blessing.

Their shared cleanse lasted all of six minutes before Eli twisted in his arms, sending water splashing over the tub’s edge, and pressed his mouth to his - hard, demanding and not at all timid. He positioned a knee on either side of Thrawn and pressed his palms flat against his rippling core as he leaned in closer still. Thrawn’s broad hands spanned the expanse of his lean back, long muscles flexing when he rolled his hips, sending Thrawn from content to _neednow_ in a heartbeat.

With one arm around the human’s trim figure and the other being used for leverage on the side of the tub; Thrawn stood, lifting them both clean out of the water. 

Eli hooked his legs securely about his waist as Thrawn carried him to their bedroom, dripping a trail of water from the ‘fresher to their room and not giving a second thought to the mess in their wake.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! You made it! Did that seem long to you? It seemed long to me. : ) 
> 
> Next time: Thrawn and Eli, Thrass and Nemma attend the Opera. After, Eli finds something suspicious and confronts Thrawn.


	6. The Opera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn and Eli, and Thrass and Nemma attend the Opera. After, Eli finds something suspicious and confronts Thrawn.
> 
> Song: Wicked Games - Ramin Djawadi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Thrawn and Eli spent a little time together.
> 
> These chapters keep getting longer. Whoops! Also, I am not an artist. That will be made apparent. : )
> 
> Warning: Alcohol will be consumed in excess during this chapter, or at least above the recommended dosage of Csillan Fire Whiskey that humans should consume. No one is injured.

Thrawn didn’t want to be here. In fact, this was right up there with the Family parties that he was forced to endure whenever Eli was invited to one. At least here he wasn’t expected to socialize; not unless they bumped into someone they knew on the way to their seats. 

“Well, well, well...”

_You’ve got to be kidding me._

Two yellow-gold clad beings strode up behind their group in line, one distinguished Chiss and one wavy, blonde haired human.

Thrass and his date, Nemma, turned to face the new comers. With one glance, Thrawn and Eli silently decided to let the two of them handle it, keeping their backs turned to only vaguely hear the pleasantries exchanged. Nemma, who was much too good for Thrass in Thrawn’s opinion, was also a Syndic and perfectly understood the fine line between nicety and necessity. She gave the outward appearance of a completely neutral party looking to keep the peace, but Thrawn knew she was cognizant of all the unspoken nuances of their delicate situation. ‘Their’ being the Chiss as a culture, and of course the Mitth brothers themselves with Eli being the ‘party to.’ Thrawn was rather impressed by her, which was no small feat. 

A voice broke into his thoughts, raised and swollen with pride. “Did everyone hear the news? Bri has been made an _official_ Chaf Family member,” Formbi explained, clutching at Ronan’s hand and smiling fondly at him. 

“Congratulations,” Thrass said with a tight smile.

Thrawn kept his gaze straight ahead and tried to let the conversation fade into the many voices speaking around them. Eli was watching him, eyes keen and cautious.

“I’m not going to say anything,” Thrawn told him quietly, keeping his gaze forward.

“I know,” Eli said, smirking. Thrawn was not one to make small talk, even if it would smooth tensions; he only spoke when he needed to. Eli, on the other hand, had no qualms about saying something to the effect of Ronan _officially_ disgracing the family. “I’m debating if I should.”

Thrawn cocked an eyebrow and turned an interested and curious expression toward him. 

A smile broke out on the human’s face. “Don’t worry, I won’t-“

“Eli’van’to,” a voice slithered through the bodies around him to reach his ears, a voice Eli had grown to associate with distrust and distaste. He fought back the urge to roll his eyes. It would be worse if he ignored it.

He turned to face Formbi with a forced but pleasant grin, deciding in seconds that throwing treason accusations around would not be his ammo tonight. 

The Aristocra kept his voice amiable, but it had an undertone dripping with contempt. “I don’t expect you’ve been privy to the scientific revelations of our great society, but in the off chance that you do keep a sense of pride in your adoptive Family, the research-”

“Next.”

Thrawn led Eli forward to the ticket booth, steering him away from Formbi with a firm grasp on his elbow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the human glance back over his shoulder at the Aristocra before turning his knitted brow up at him. The Chiss handed over their tickets to be scanned, avoiding his gaze and trying his best not to look suspicious. 

“What was he talking about?”

“I don’t know,” Thrawn strung the words together so quickly they became one.

He held the door open for Eli to walk through, waited a moment for Thrass and Nemma, and they all stepped inside. 

Thrawn was not surprised to learn Thrass had procured box seats overlooking the main floor. At least they would have some privacy, and not be roped into a useless conversation here. Good thing, too, because earlier had been a close call. 

Eli leaned over in his seat and spoke softly in Thrawn’s ear after the four of them had gotten settled. “Thank you for coming.”

The lights lowered so Thrawn saved his sly remark regarding payment and just smiled in response as the show began. 

It took mere minutes for Eli to become fully engrossed, completely taken with the grandeur of the music and actors playing their parts on stage. The flashing lights lit up his awed features as they switched from scene to scene, his eye shape and color made visible in the dark, pupils expanding from a particularly bright beam of light. He got caught watching him and was rewarded was a sweet grin. 

Thrawn felt the sudden, irrefutable desire to kiss him. So he did. “I love you.”

There were very few times Thrawn could get Eli to blush nowadays; the man had become more comfortable with himself and their relationship. This, however, was one of those times and Thrawn lived for it.

_“Psst.”_

They turned in unison to see Thrass inclined toward them. “I’m going to get drinks,” he whispered. “Now’s a good time. Care to join, Eli?”

Stealing a quick glance at the stage and the actors belting out lilting melodies, he must have decided he could sneak away for a few moments and not miss much. “Yeah, I’ll come. Do you want anything?” he added to Thrawn as he stood. 

“No, thank you.” 

They left, leaving Thrawn and Nemma sitting alone to watch the show.

Thirty minutes after his promised mate and brother disappeared, Nemma scooted closer and spoke softly so as not to be disruptive. “They’ve been gone awhile.”

Thrawn agreed. They had been gone a while, and in addition to Eli’s unmatched mathematic abilities he was also excellent at time management. ‘Losing track of time’ could never be an excuse of his. Thrawn’s eyes darted quickly to where Formbi and Ronan were seated watching the show, as if worried they might be behind the extended length of the others’ absences.

“We should go look for them,” she pressed.

Normally he wouldn’t have minded that Eli and Thrass had run off together, but Nemma looked worried so he said, “Alright.”

“I have a feeling I know where they are,” Nemma said once they had entered the hallway. “Let’s split up.”

“I agree. I’ll check downstairs,” Thrawn said, silently suggesting she check upstairs. With a curt nod she took off in the direction of the closest lounge. 

He journeyed across the elegant hall, down two flights of wide, carpeted staircases and onto the main level, walking swiftly into the bar. His eyes scanned the area and found no sign of his betrothed or his asshole of a relative among the handful of patrons. He wandered back out into the hallway, hoping Nemma was having more luck in her search. 

Thrawn bit back his growl as he looked up and down the scarcely occupied hallway, fire burning in the pit of his stomach from the growing knowledge of who’s fault this was: his brother’s. Thrass possessed some of the most impeccable, irksome qualities imaginable.  
Inviting them out and then stealing his date barely scratched the surface. 

On the way back up the stairs towards the upper lounge hung a painting, positioned in a dark patch of the hallway where the wall’s concave curve almost hide it from view. He inched closer, drawn to it as if it held a secret meant for him to decipher. 

Paintings, sculptures, architecture, and more recently music all called to him. There were many things that could be gleaned from artwork; art gave insight to a person or cultures inner most thoughts, fears, and desires. It was a well-honed skill of his to sift through the emotion projected off each canvas or note and pluck out the motive behind it. That was Thrawn’s way of understanding others; allies, enemies. Some of his greatest achievements could be traced back to a single, strategically chosen shade of orange, or the placement of a particular symbol on the side of a government building. 

On his approach, he saw that the painting was not simply hidden in shadows; it was as if it was made of shadows. Thick, heavy brush strokes bent into dark, angry lines and the jagged texture shot off the canvas as if trying to break free. 

Squinting at the image, Thrawn could make out two figures in the chaos of what was a battlefield, or perhaps a large assembly room; either way the others in the painting were nothing but crumpled heaps on the floor, unmoving. Both figures were Chiss, one poised to strike with a gleaming dagger angled upward toward the other’s spine. The other’s head was wrenched back by his hair, a look of shock and pain drawn on his indigo features.

_Betrayal._

Thrawn took an abrupt, retreating step and forced himself to look away as if peering too closely would summon it into existence.

But it was the past, a painting from a play that reenacted events from thousands of years ago when the Chiss Ruling Families were first created. Still, the painting spoke to him. Something was coming; something dark like the colors used by the artist, something insidious that, like the artist’s violent brush strokes, would creep up to deliver the harsh stroke of _fate._

Releasing a calming breath through thin lips, he made the trip back to the upper level lounge. Worrying was fruitless. There were things he could do, and things he could not. Preparing the best way he knew how was all he could do in the mean time. 

Concern for what was yet to be dissolved as he strode into the bar and to the sight of Nemma standing above a small, circular table to which sat Eli and Thrass. Their table was strewn with miniature glasses all tinted with the remnants of what was the fiery red liquid they had held. 

Thrawn glowered at his brother, at the shocking appearance of his redder than usual eyes, more crisp and luminescent. 

“I found them,” Nemma said shortly.

“Indeed.”

Eli was unaware as to the tension that had grown insurmountable, smiling up at Thrawn with his laziest grin, his eyes colored no different but slit so thin Thrawn could barely see their gold flecks.

_Oh boy._

He laid a tender hand on Eli’s shoulder. “Hi, love.”

“Hi,” Eli said, sounding mystified. 

Thrawn’s piercing red eyes blazed almost the same shade as his brother’s when they rounded on the other man. Thrass visibly recoiled. He was intoxicated, though nowhere near as trashed as Eli. 

Thrawn’s eyes narrowed. If looks could kill… 

“A word, brother.”

“I don’t think-”

“Now.”

Grumbling all the way, Thrass followed Thrawn across the room.

“Did you tell him?” Thrawn asked him urgently. It was incredibly likely that Eli would have asked Thrass about Formbi’s comment from earlier. 

His older brother scoffed, smelling of liquor. “No, I didn’t _tell him_. Gods, Thrawn, don’t be so dramatic.” 

Thrawn hissed, fingertips twitching.

“Oh relax,” Thrass suggested with a wave of his hand. “Eli deserves to let off some steam.” 

Thrawn looked at the human, eyes drooping at the table and at the many glasses before him. 

“By going shot for shot with him?” Thrawn asked through gritted teeth, his scowl deepening. “You know humans don’t possess the same tolerance-”

“Save me the lecture, little brother.”

Thrawn glared at him, then caught sight of Nemma with her arms crossed standing next to Eli who, at this point, was practically falling from his chair. A lecture from Thrawn would do nothing for Thrass. An irate talking to from Nemma, on the other hand, would hit much harder. 

He shoved past Thrass and stepped to Eli’s side, graciously holding out his hand. The human grinned and took it without question.

“Thank you for the evening out, brother.” Thrawn added drily on their way out, wishing Nemma a good evening and noting with satisfaction the look she gave Thrass and his wary, slightly afraid return expression.

Thrawn helped Eli out of the opera house with a kind but firm hand on his elbow. He wasn’t afraid the human would run off, but to be honest he wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t fall down. 

Once outside, Eli detached himself with a gentle chuckle. “I can walk by myself, Thrawn.”

The Chiss humored him and walked on ahead, cautiously checking over his shoulder periodically as he continued his jaunt down the walkway to their parked vehicle. Despite Eli’s persistence of his abilities he stumbled over uneven patches, walking in a not so straight line behind him.

He waited patiently at Eli’s door for the duration it took him to catch up, holding it open so he could climb in. Once he was sure all Eli’s extremities were inside the vehicle, Thrawn shut the door and lowered himself into the drivers seat. Eli bent his knees and brought his feet to rest atop the dash. Thrawn glanced at the dirty boots on his clean interior, but remained silent as he drove them off. 

“Did you have a good time?” Thrawn asked him softly, although he’d be surprised if Eli remembered anything in the morning.

“Sure did,” Eli answered, turning a crooked smile toward him. “You ‘ave ta admit it was better than bein’ in the office.”

He didn’t necessarily disagree, so he nodded and shot him a warm smile, relishing his slightly more noticeable drawl. A shadow passed over Eli’s face, dimming his playful expression. 

“I know that…” he trailed off for a moment, seemingly distracted by something flying past outside his window, head pressed up against the glass. “I know you wanna be back in, you know? But honestly, you’re lucky ta have ta not…”

He lowered his feet from the dash and hugged himself, folding his arms about his middle. Thrawn frowned at him. _Lucky?_

“Ida know, Thrawn,” Eli continued, realizing he’d left dirt from his boots on Thrawn’s vehicle and swiped at the specks with one hand. “Sometimes… hell, all the times… I just know-”

He fell back into the seat with a heavy, beaten-sounding sigh. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I just know imma let ‘em all down.”

The agony in his voice was so raw and unexpected it tore at Thrawn, leaving him with a gaping, aching hole in his chest and completely speechless. He stole a glance at the other man who was now curling himself up into a ball, leaning against the door. “Not sure why they trusted me with any of it...”

_Any of what?_

Pressing himself into the cold door to keep upright and using his safety strap to rest his head, Eli’s eyes fluttered closed. 

Thrawn desperately wanted to know what Eli had meant and with him in this particular state of mind… if Thrawn asked… would he tell him?

Again Thrawn was reminded, like a punch to his stomach, that Eli had a life outside of him as he had for years before his return. And he knew nothing about it.

The pressure Eli felt was surely just as crippling as what Thrawn had suffered in the Empire; tasked with impossible quotas and one heavy burden after the other placed on his shoulders.

He glimpsed the man slumped against the side of the vehicle. Thrawn wanted to pry into his mind and Eli had already begun to open up. He _could_ ask, and perhaps Eli would tell him. 

The silence stretched and Thrawn still did not speak. The only sound that could be heard was the soft whistle of air through the cracks in their speeder.

Maybe he could ask him about Un’hee; Eli had a soft spot for the girl. If he picked his partner’s brain for Defense Fleet secrets would it help him in _his_ cause? 

Could he live with himself after? 

The silence remained heavy and deafening, full of the tingling nuisance of burning questions left unasked. It lingered for half their trip home, tension building within Thrawn until it was replaced with the gentle sounds of Eli’s steady, rhythmic breathing as it slowed to the pace of unconsciousness. 

Thrawn glanced over to see the human’s sleeping form with his arms crossed, curled up tightly against the window. He tenderly placed his broad hand on Eli’s thigh, his thumb absentmindedly drawing tiny circles on the human’s leg. He let the weight of his hand rest heavily as if reassuring him, even in sleep, that Thrawn would not take advantage of him. 

Knowing that the thought had even crossed his mind made his stomach churn and he was filled with shame and the sharp stab of regret. 

Interweaving their fingers, he brought Eli’s hand to his lips to lightly kiss his knuckles.

The human slept on.

  
  


When they arrived at their home Thrawn didn’t even bother trying to wake him. He tucked one arm under his slender knees and the other across his back to make sure his head wouldn’t flop over his elbow. Hoisting him from the vehicle, he carried him into their home and laid him in their bed, removing his boots and stripping him of his outer clothing. Pulling the covers up to his chin, his kissed the human’s warm forehead and left the room to fetch everything he’d need for when he woke up feeling like he’d been hit repeatedly with a Bo-rifle.

***

Muffled voices wafted from Thrawn’s office and down the hall, low and serious at first, but over the hour transitioned to light-hearted and-

Was that laughter?

Eli bristled. He had tried to ignore the dull rumble of the two men conversing in the other room for a while now, but the lilts and increasing volume of the conversation proved distracting. They could’ve at least shut the door. 

It wouldn’t usually irritate him so much if he wasn’t still hung-over and exhausted from the night before, but every tiny vibration caused his brain to throb, each turn of his head still made him queasy and he was acutely aware every time he stood that Chiss alcohol was not meant for human consumption. 

Eli returned to his task, swiping his finger over the glass screen to move to the next page. He scrolled… and paused.

His eyes skimmed the numbers, becoming increasingly puzzled.

Another laugh came from the other room. Well, they didn’t _sound_ busy.

Eli stood, taking his datapad with him and strode down the hall. He poked his head around the office door to see two pairs of glowing red eyes turn toward him. He suddenly got the unnerving feeling that he wasn’t welcomed.

“Hi, Sorin,” Eli greeted the Chiss who wasn’t his promised mate. “May I speak with you?” he asked the one who was.

Before Thrawn even opened his mouth to respond, it dawned on Eli that he wasn’t going to get his way. The datapad in his hands drew Thrawn’s attention and his red eyes flicked to the other Chiss, seated at the other end of the desk. 

“What is it?” he asked, with a nod at the device. Maybe he figured it was something Sorin should be present for.

Eli stepped inside the office, feeling no small amount of irritation at having to discuss this in front of Thrawn’s friend. He set the device on the desk before Thrawn and pointed. “What’s that?”

Thrawn craned his neck to peer at what Eli was pointing to with his brow furrowed in concern. Once his eyes had scanned the data his expression turned impassive. “What does it say it is?”

Eli narrowed his eyes just enough to silently communicate his displeasure. “It says withdrawal and deposit,” he said, as though it was obvious. “It doesn’t say to where.”

Thrawn used his pointer finger to indicate. “It does say.”

Eli studied the numbers and letters to which Thrawn was pointing, directly across from the rather large sum of deposited funds – larger than six months worth of their mortgage. They meant nothing to him.

“That’s the Inrokini Family account,” Thrawn explained. “I’ve been donating to various projects of theirs.”

“Projects.” Eli repeated flatly.

“Yes,” Thrawn reached for his drink and took a measured sip, glancing at the other Chiss once more with a twinkle in his eye. “Isn’t that right, Sorin?”

Eli spun to face the other man. Sorin was a member of House Inrokini, but was he really expected to know about financial transfers? About Family sponsored science projects?

“Yeah, that’s right,” he said, the corner of his red eyes wrinkling in a kind smile. Eli usually found trusting him came easy, but now he wasn’t so sure. “My Family’s been working on a range of research.”

Eli’s peripheral vision caught Thrawn watching him, watching his reaction. It just irritated him more.

Sorin continued. “Anywhere from the Glaciers melting in the North to manipulating the molecules of tree sap to create a bonding agent. Thrawn’s been generous enough to finance some of those ventures.”

Eli, dumbfounded and exhausted with the two Chiss, turned back to Thrawn who was smiling at Sorin – his accomplice. Thrawn looked up at Eli and his cheeky smile vanished.

“I didn’t know you cared about global warming or tree glue, Thrawn.”

Thrawn leaned back, rocking casually in his chair. “Sorin’s my friend. His Family is working on important discoveries. I wanted to help.”

Eli stared at him. “Hmm.” 

For a moment, Eli pondered pressing for more but something about Thrawn’s smug expression told him he’d glean no more from him, especially with Sorin present and backing him up. 

“How are you feeling?” Thrawn suddenly asked him out of nowhere, his tone a touch softer now. He was peering up at him with kind eyes.

“Fine.” Eli replied, refusing to give in.

Thrawn just smiled. “Anything else?” he asked quietly in a polite, but clear attempt at dismissing Eli.

Eli reckoned he looked a little too comfortable as he rocked in his chair undaunted, bold. He would have to remind him later that arrogance was only so attractive. 

On a bridge deck, or anywhere else where his rank had any pull, Eli would still struggle sometimes to keep his foot firmly planted. It was even more difficult in his personal life with Thrawn, someone who naturally commanded respect. Eli had not been given the same opportunities as his partner and therefore had to work twice as hard. But he’d get there, eventually. 

“Yeah,” Eli said, snatching at his datapad. “It’s your turn to do the dishes.”

He spun on his heels and left the office.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I just want to say a quick thank you to those of you who are reading this series, or even just this fic so far! I know you all have a ton of options when reading and the fact that you take the time to read something I wrote still astonishes me and I am truly grateful. So thanks! <3 Also, I have a pretty solid game plan for each chapter at this point so I'll be trying to get them out as soon as I can! 
> 
> Next time: Thrawn has a visitor while Eli’s away; Eli visits Thrawn at work.


	7. The Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn has a visitor while Eli’s away. Then Eli returns home and visits Thrawn at work.
> 
> Song: What Are You Asking Me? - James Newton Howard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Thrass got Eli drunk at the Opera; the human discovered some mysteriously missing finances while doing his and Thrawn’s bookkeeping.

Ar’alani had been an admiral for nearly twenty years, and no one had given her more grief over the course of those years than Mitth’raw’nuruodo. 

First, when he was a fresh recruit and she was a commander in charge of training the new cadets, he’d created his own placement system for his fellow peers, assigning them to positions he believed they would be most useful based on his own aptitude assessment. 

This had posed a problem, though not among the other cadets. In fact, Thrawn had gained a sort of following early on and the others appreciated being in positions where they could shine. However, the Admiralty preferred that cadets be cross-trained, choosing what to focus their sole attention on after graduation. 

Thrawn had received a demerit for his actions, and one more for vehemently arguing his points with Ar’alani.

What Ar’alani still couldn’t come to terms with was how Thrawn had placed all the cadets _perfectly._ Every single one of them ended up in the exact position he had predicted. 

Then, on their first deployment together, he’d reprogrammed their communication system so that all the incoming transmissions were color-coded based on level of importance. He tagged the most urgent ones those that were in closest proximity to their location rather than those from High Command, claiming that a distress call or even an amiable message from anyone out in the Chaos was of greater concern to the Expansionary Fleet then calls from their leaders.

 _That_ took a long time to explain. 

But, his argument had again been pure perfection and again made sense to Ar’alani, but that was beside the point. The Admiralty didn’t appreciate anyone stepping on their toes, or worse… showing them up.

This had earned him another demerit as well as the threat of a demotion and he fell in line after that. Well, mostly. At least he learned to keep his more unorthodox ideals fairly underwraps. 

And then there was the whole art thing. She couldn’t recall just how many times she wanted to rip her hair out from hearing him say, ‘Well, if you just look at this design here’ or ‘Can’t you see what the artist was trying to accomplish? It’s quite obvious.’

It was annoying every time, regardless of his ‘results,’ which were, in truth, remarkable.

Approaching footsteps echoed from down the hall and she prepared herself to meet with the man she now called friend. 

“Good evening, admiral.”

She turned from where she’d been admiring the view out of his office window to see Thrawn dressed in civilian clothes, a fact that still bothered her when she thought of the immense resource the Ascendancy was wasting. 

Closing the door behind him, Thrawn reached for the small dial lit up with green on the wall. It flashed red twice and then switched off. 

“You don’t trust me,” she said flatly, somehow not surprised. 

“Do not take offense,” he replied smoothly. “I trust no one. Please, have a seat.”

He sat first, watching her expectantly before she lowered herself into a chair as well. Eyeing her suspiciously he said, “Heron told me you were waiting in my office. I didn’t believe him.”

She smiled a sort of crooked, wily grin. “Surprise.”

He huffed out a laugh. “May I ask why you’re here? Or did you come because you missed me?”

“You know I can’t be here,” she said, exasperated.

“And yet you are.”

She felt his coolness towards her and knew very well it had nothing to do with her. Despite everything they had been through together and all of their familiarity, his return had not gone according to plan. She suspected the Families and their squabbling had more to do with his termination from the Fleets than actual military protocol, but there was only so much she could do alone to rectify the situation. 

“I came to ask what you’re planning,” she confessed. 

A single eyebrow rose in a gentle curve. “Planning?”

“You know what we’re up against. I’m assuming you’re formulating a plan behind the scenes?”

Thrawn sighed and leaned back in his chair, the smallest of smirks gracing his thin blue lips. “Well, at some point I plan to clean the house before Eli gets home next week. The Inrokini syndic wished to know more about Imperial planetary shields so I’ll need to meet with her to discuss those. Oh, and we’re out of toilet paper so I’ll probably run to the store tomorrow. Those are my plans, admiral. Any of those interest you?” 

She stared at him in disbelief, astonished by his utter indifference and apparent lack of interest in the volatile state of their worlds. She also didn’t believe him in the slightest; Mitth’raw’nuruodo was never without a plan. 

“Fine.” she said, lifting her chin. “Don’t tell me, then.”

“I don’t know what you expected to hear, admiral,” Thrawn said.

“Perhaps that you hadn’t given up.”

His eyes flashed at the subtle taunt before they dropped to watch his finger tap absentmindedly on the desk. “I am doing what has been requested.”

“I’ve never known you to simply ‘do what has been requested.’”

His back stiffened in response to her gentle scolding. She knew she was pushing her luck but she was the only one, and perhaps Ivant, who would be able to get this far and hopefully glean some hints as to what he was up to. She gathered in seconds by his closed off expression that that wasn’t going to be the case.

“Is there anything else, admiral?” Thrawn asked with thinly veiled vexation. 

Refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing she’d taken offense to his dismissal, she rose abruptly from her seat and took up her position again near the window to stare out at the icy landscape, standing close enough to feel the frigid air projected off the glass. 

“Do you remember when you were a cadet?” she asked softly, watching as the first flakes of light snow began to fall.

“I do,” Thrawn said matter-of-factly. “You hated me.”

She snorted. “I did not _hate_ you. You annoyed me,” she smiled over her shoulder at him. “There is a difference.”

“And now?”

She turned back to watch the snowfall, speaking to the glass. “You still annoy me.”

An amiable smile finally spread across Thrawn’s lips. She turned to catch the tail end of it and resigned herself to the fact that maybe Thrawn wasn’t going to tell her his plans, which would be of great disappointment to Ivant especially since she was here at his request. At this point, however, she just hoped that he was planning something, _anything,_ that might turn the tides in their favor.

He sighed heavily. “I know what you are doing.”

Ar’alani cocked an eyebrow. “And what is that?”

Thrawn turned his glowing red eyes on hers and blinked impassively. “You are attempting to draw on our shared past, our mutual pride in our home, our sense of oneness to coax from me whatever plan you think I’m concocting.”

She remained silent, staring him down.

He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk. “I could do the same if I stooped so low.”

Ar’alani had to laugh at his audacity. This conversation was getting nowhere so she changed the topic. 

“So… you and Ivant?” she asked with a devious look over her shoulder.

He gave her an nettled look. “What of it?”

She shrugged, turning back to the view. “I had a hunch. What with your blatant panic at seeing him again in the Empire, and finding the two of you covered in dirt and grim on Copero. Coupled with the simple fact that you sent him _here -”_

Thrawn made a small noise of disapproval and Ar’alani turned to see him frowning and shaking his head. He stood to join her at the window.

“I… did not _panic_.”

She barked out a laugh. “You sent him away the first chance you got.”

“He had an important job to do,” Thrawn countered. “You know that.”

“Mmm,” Ar’alani nodded. “Of course he did.”

There was much between them after all these years, friendship and rivalry, heartbreaking failures and impossible triumphs. They knew each other's faults and exactly which buttons to push. They knew what drove the other, what was most important to them, what kept them pushing on. Ar’alani had known Thrawn for all of his military career and not once had she thought love for anything other than the Ascendancy would command his heart. Eli’van’to was definitely the exception.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked about him,” she asked quietly. 

“You know where he is?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then he is alive and that’s all that matters.”

She turned to him. There was much she could say, but spoke only the one truth that she was absolutely certain of. “Mitth’raw’nuruodo, you have always been a pain in my ass.” 

“I know.” 

He moved away from the window, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I know you know. You know many things, but there are things you _don’t_ know, and they will catch up with you one day.” 

He stared hard at her. “Such as?”

She released his arm and straightened once more. “Like what you will do if you cannot save Eli’van’to.”

No doubt he’d considered the possibility before, for the fear of losing a loved one in battle was not a novel concept. In fact, he’d most likely accepted the fact while they’d still been in the Empire. Even now, he’d probably come to terms with the gut-wrenching reality that every time he watched Ivant walk out their door, it could very well be the last. 

He chose not to comment.

“Or what you will do if his will exceeds yours.”

His eyes snapped toward her. Perhaps he hadn’t thought of that. 

Afterall, Ivant was here on his orders, regardless of the reason, and therefore it was assumed his loyalty would be to Thrawn. However, Ar’alani sensed an independent spark in him just waiting to catch fire. He’d proven himself time and time again and she’d seen first hand his own personal growth while in the Ascendancy. Fully capable of making his own decisions, he had a strong enough resolve that he could stand up to Thrawn, if the need ever arose. 

“Not to mention he is human, which has already caused a number of issues.” 

Perhaps Thrawn didn’t feel he had the right to defend himself after everything, but he could defend Eli. 

“He is more loyal to the Ascendancy than some of your greatest warriors, admiral,” he said to her.

She couldn’t contest that fact, fully aware that many of her veteran crew had strict, rigid beliefs on what was right and wrong and who should lead and who should follow.

Disloyalty was a word tossed around far too often nowadays and she had no intentions of perpetuating the many feuds, so as long as they kept their bickering off her bridge and followed her orders, she’d turn a blind eye. 

“Still, Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” she said in a quiet tone. “These are things you must consider.” 

He stood to the side, remaining as inconspicuous as possible, at a deliberate angle to where he could watch Thrawn through the glass window from behind a pillar without being seen.

The Chiss was joined by five other government officials inside the office, all gathered around a large, polished wooden desk and dressed in an assortment of Family colors. The others face’s held tension or seriousness while Thrawn just looked uninterested. He lounged back in his chair and twirled his stylus between long, graceful fingers, glancing up at the speaker every so often in a half assed attempt to appear remotely cued in. 

Eli inwardly cringed. He could just imagine what Thrawn might be thinking. His red eyes half lidded in a sleepy daze, opening wide for a moment as he tried keeping himself awake.

_These people are incompetent._

_Why am I here?_

_Such a waste…_

_Surely this could’ve been a memo._

His judgmental gaze lingered on the man across from him who was sporting a rather large head wrap that kept unraveling and draping across his right eye, causing him to inelegantly bat at it every few minutes. Thrawn lifted a thin eyebrow in his direction.

_You look ridiculous._

Eli snorted to himself behind his pillar and watched as Thrawn’s eyes wandered lazily until they caught sight of him standing half hidden in the hallway. He did a double take before a number of emotions passed over his usually impassive features; confusion, surprise, joy and _relief_. Eli could’ve sworn he saw a hint of arousal mixed in there as well. 

The Chiss excused himself from the meeting to join Eli in the hallway, ducking behind the support beam Eli had used as his cover. 

“Eli,” he said with a broad grin as he wrapped his arms around his human. “You’re back early.” Taking his face in his hands, he pressed a firm kiss to his mouth. “I have missed you.”

Eli’s grin slowly faded when they separated, his face losing some of its usual warm glow as he searched his gaze. “You don’t know.”

It wasn’t a question. 

“Know what?” Thrawn asked as he withdrew, dread creeping into this pleasant moment. 

Eli shook his head. “Of course they wouldn’t tell you.” He looked around at the many Aristocra, Syndics, aides and more wandering the halls of the building, unsuspecting and unawares. “They probably haven’t told anyone.”

“Told anyone _what_ , Eli?” Thrawn’s voice had turned cold with sharp, vivid concern plastered on his face. 

“Ivant!” a smiling young Chiss called across the hall.

Eli grinned at them, momentarily distracted. He took a step toward the other Chiss who was making their way over.

Thrawn, beyond caring who was trying to steal Eli away this time, wrapped his hand around his wrist to stop him from walking away. Surely a casual conversation could wait a moment. 

“Eli, please don’t do this,” Thrawn said, urgently. “I know there are things you can’t tell me but there are some things you can. Tell me what’s happening -”

“Thrawn,” Eli said firmly, interrupting him. He appeared hesitant, his voice no more than a faint whisper when he spoke. “I don’t know.”

He continued to gaze almost regretfully at Thrawn, and in those honest features Thrawn could see that he meant it. The weight of the unknown settled over them for a moment, blocking out everyone else in the hall. Eli continued in the same reserved tone. “They called us all back. I don’t know why. The Valiant, The Steadfast - everyone returned -”

Thrawn was nodding as if he already knew this. “I spoke with Ar’alani yesterday. I assumed you weren’t on the Steadfast or you would have been home.”

“Oh?” Eli said, surprised. Ar’alani hadn’t contacted him. “How’d that go?”

Thrawn shook off the inquiry. “Did they call back the Expansionary Fleet as well?”

“I really don’t know, Thrawn,” Eli admitted with a shake of his head. “I doubt they’d leave our borders unguarded, but they could have-”

“Commander Ivant,” the young Chiss had reached them.

Thrawn looked murderous. Eli laid a gentle, calming hand on his arm. “Thrawn, this is Ina’ja’leo. He’s one of our cadets.”

“Nice to meet you, Mitt-”

“If you weren’t on the Steadfast what were you doing?” Thrawn asked abruptly, rounding on Eli. “Why did you get called back?”

Ajal instantly stopped talking, looking warily back and forth between the two men. 

Eli refraining from giving Thrawn an incredulous look, his eyes alone holding enough disapproval. “Because I was asked to.” He forced a smile and repeated the introduction.

Thrawn seemed to snap out of it. 

“Apologies, cadet,” he said to the young man. “Apparently the conversation the commander and I were having was not as important as I thought.”

That earned him a sharp look of displeasure from Eli.

“No apology needed,” Ajal said, graciously recovering from being rudely ignored. “I just wanted-”

“You’re a cadet?” Thrawn interrupted. “Surely the Aristocra building is no place for you.” 

The young man looked taken aback at the unexpected interrogation. Eli was just as taken aback, practically gaping at Thrawn.

“My father…” Ajal began, glancing hesitantly at Eli. “My father works here.”

It was then that Thrawn’s eyes scanned the soldier, his cadet uniform and the yellow Chaf patch on his shoulder.

Ajal noticed what drew Thrawn’s attention and glanced at the patch. He turned back to him with his head held high. “I’m sponsored by the Chaf family.”

Thrawn’s eyes grew dark in definite contrast to the smile he tried to fake. “What a honor.”

The sarcasm of his comment was not lost on the cadet. The young man took a calming breath before replying with a slightly shaky voice. “My father is an aide to the Chaf syndic. I did not want that life but I nevertheless took the opportunity to be named a merit adoptive.” He paused and swallowed. “I understand Mitth and Chaf House elders have their… differences. But my best friend was born a Mitth. And I would die for him the same way I would for anyone else.”

Eli realized he was holding his breath and slowly shifted to take in Thrawn’s reaction. The other man was still staring at Ajal, but his harsh expression had now softened. Perhaps it finally dawned on him that he was taking out his frustration at the previous situation on this poor, young cadet. 

“Let us hope your loyalty need not be tested in such a way,” he said quietly.

“I hope not either,” Ajal said with a bleak expression. Then he bowed his head toward Thrawn. “All due respect, sir, but I refuse to hold the same prejudices as my elders. How things are now is not how they’re meant to be. I intend to change them.” 

Eli had heard very few people get away with speaking to Thrawn this way. He rather appreciated it.

The young man straightened. “And I am not alone.” 

He turned to Eli, who was still watching Thrawn. To his twisted amusement, the Chiss appeared in shock and had nothing to say. 

“I apologize for interrupting, commander,” Ajal said to Eli. “Like I said, I am here visiting my father. I came to say goodbye, as you well know.”

The human smiled as if he understood when, in fact, he did _not_ know.

“I am honored to serve the Ascendancy,” Ajal said with a touch of bravado. “And I will be with the first 10,000 troops deployed. Perhaps I will see you out there?”

Eli tried to keep his expression neutral as Thrawn stiffened beside him. Luckily, the Chiss kept quiet.

“Perhaps,” Eli replied kindly. “Which ship are you assigned?”

“I don’t know yet,” Ajal answered. “A number of us don’t have our assignments.” 

Eli felt the anxiety radiating from Thrawn like a heat lamp. He was sure he was about to explode in questions. Best to get the cadet out of here before that happened.

“Good luck to you,” he said with finality.

“Warriors fortune,” Ajal replied simply, saluting him with his right arm across his chest. “Good day, Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” he added before striding away.

Eli watched the young man go with grim wonder if he’d ever see him again. 

He and Thrawn were left alone again in the corridor, men and women walking past as they stood there in silence. They turned simultaneously toward each other, not needing to say anything. Looking up at Thrawn, he saw the same concern and dread that he felt reflected in his gaze.

They both knew that the recall of the Fleets, regrouping of their warriors, and increase in their available numbers could only mean one thing. 

Eli was wrong; Thrawn didn’t have questions.

When he finally spoke his voice was low and heavy. “I won’t see you for a very long time.”

Eli had no comforting reassurance for that statement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Thrawn and Eli have a conversation; the boy’s receive an unexpected call.


	8. The Summons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Thrawn and Eli have a conversation; the boy’s receive an unexpected call.
> 
> Song: Beautiful Name - Samuel Kim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Time: Ar’alani interrogated Thrawn to no avail. Eli visited Thrawn at work and gleaned a clue for what’s to come.
> 
> Warning: There's a heated moment towards the end of this chapter. ; )

They had been wrong. Eli hadn’t been called back to duty the following day. Another few days and then a whole week past and still nothing. He was convinced the Admiralty were biding their time, but for what? 

Rumors swirled within the Ascendancy that ships had been deployed, but none that Eli or Thrawn could confirm. As far as everyone knew, they were just… waiting. That was the worst part for Eli. He did not like just waiting, keeping eyes and ears vigilant for a sign as to what might come next. He’d reached out to Ar’alani for information but she’d given no straight answer, only telling him that the navigator placement projects were secured and ready, which was the only thing that allowed him to sleep soundly at night in this uncertain time. 

Well, that and the fact that he and Thrawn had been able to see each other every day for the last week. 

The front door closed with a thud startling Eli out of his reverie, and he heard Thrawn plop down heavily on the sofa. Peering around the corner he saw his promised-mate’s long body sprawled casually along the length of the couch. A long, gratified sigh passed through his lips as he relaxed into the plush material.

Eli stepped around the corner, carrying a bowl of Thrawn’s favorite fruit. “Well, that was dramatic.”

That earned him a sheepish grin.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Eli asked, holding out the bowl so Thrawn could pluck a bright red berry from it.

The Chiss leaned his head on the back of the couch, his gaze focused on the high pointed ceiling of their living room. “I should not be here.” Then he tossed the berry into the air and caught it with his mouth. 

“Here?” Eli asked, with a small, teasing smile. “With me?”

Thrawn chuckled and wrapped an arm around his hip. “With you is exactly where I should be.”

Eli was glad to hear that and kissed him sweetly in agreeance. 

“But I would prefer it if we were… not here,” Thrawn relented. 

Eli looked down at the bowl of fruit. He knew more than anyone that Thrawn did not belong on Csilla, but to argue that fact would only fuel Thrawn's frustrations. So he said the most reassuring thing he could, keeping his own irritation at the situation in check. “It won’t be forever. It’s just for now.”

“You know that?” Thrawn asked wearily. “Because I don’t. And frankly this sense of inferiority is… suffocating.”

Eli set the bowl on the caf table and leaned over Thrawn, bracing himself with one arm against the back of the couch.

“I don’t know that for sure, but I do know ‘inferior’ is not a word anyone uses to describe you. There are some things you just can’t control.” Eli told him, hoping to appeal to his logic. “This is one of them.”

Thrawn just stared at him for a moment before a relaxed, affectionate grin spread across his face. 

“I know you want to be saving the Ascendancy,” Eli continued, ”but, for me, being here with me is enough. You know that, right?” 

Warmth blossomed in Thrawn’s chest at the acceptance in Eli’s voice. He wasn’t one to need comfort, but he was nevertheless immeasurably grateful that he could find solace in Eli. He gave the human’s hip a gentle pat. “Thank you, Eli.” 

“And I know you don’t feel like you’re living up to what you're capable of, and I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve seen what you can do,” Eli said with a kind smile. “But people still talk about all you’ve done. It’s not like your reputation is completely destroyed.”

“I’m not worried about my reputation,” Thrawn said with a sardonic laugh. “I am simply bored.”

Eli stared at him. Then burst out laughing. Thrawn frowned at his mate, his own smile inadvertently growing in response to Eli’s delight.

The human wiped a tear away. “I’ve only known you not to be bored when your ship’s under attack,” Eli explained.

Thrawn smirked. “Not true. There are other times when I’m not bored...”

His hand traveled up Eli’s thigh and there could be no mistaking what was meant by the glimmer in his eye. 

Eli stopped its trajectory with a gentle squeeze. “I have dinner cooking.”

“Turn it off,” Thrawn muttered, reaching up to bring Eli down for a kiss. He received a muffled grunt of disapproval. 

Eli pulled back, mouth hovering over his. “Thank you.”

Thrawn retreated. “For what?”

“The sacrifices you make,” Eli said softly, emphasizing each phrase with a kiss. “For me… for us… for the Ascendancy.”

Eli kissed him once more and stood, heading off toward the kitchen. Thrawn let out a heavy sigh, tossing his head against the back of the couch once more and staring at the ceiling. “Is being passed over for sex one of these sacrifices I’m expected to make?”

Eli’s laugh was all he received in response.

No matter. He could still spend time with Eli even if they weren’t going to end up in bed. 

He followed Eli into the kitchen, picking at the chopped vegetables on the cutting board for a moment before his hand was swatted away. 

“I have a question for you,” Eli said, not meeting Thrawn's eye. 

Thrawn leaned against the counter behind Eli, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“You um… ever think about having kids?”

Thrawn straightened. “What?”

Eli shrugged, passively stirring whatever he had cooking in the pot. “Like adopt or something?”

Thrawn’s gut reaction was to ask if he’d talked to Thrass but that would probably be suspicious so he just said. “No.”

Eli looked at him, then. “Really?”

“Why do you ask?”

Eli shrugged again and looked away. “One of our navigators lost her Sight recently and she’s not old enough to be a cadet. So she really has no place to go.”

Thrawn’s whole body tensed, to which Eli noticed and chuckled. “I’m not saying now. It just got me thinking.”

Truth was, Thrawn had thought about having children many, many times. Considering his situation, how could he not? Whether he wanted to risk it, well, that was an entirely different story. “I don’t feel my life is missing anything.” 

Eli shot him a look over his shoulder as Thrawn stepped to embrace him from behind. “That’s not why people have kids, Thrawn.”

“You are my sun and all my stars,” Thrawn told him leaning in to brush his lips against Eli’s cheek. “I am content.”

Eli just hummed and Thrawn took the opportunity to redirect his attention. He lifted Eli easily off the ground, ignoring his pleasant yelp, and placed him on the counter, kissing him sweetly. 

“Perhaps I haven’t made that clear. _You_ are enough, Eli.”

Although he had no intention of taking it any further, it was over far too quickly when the timer sounded loudly. 

He’d take what he could get. 

Switching off the timer, he slipped his hand into an oven mitt and removed the meat from the oven. He turned back to Eli. “Can I marry you first?”

Eli’s heart did an odd sort of flutter of excitement, accompanied by a twinge of guilt. “Thrawn, I-”

“Perhaps then we can talk about it?” 

Eli sighed. Thrawn didn’t understand. But until the time was right, there was nothing Eli could do, anyway. He had to ensure it would be a done deal; he needed leverage. 

The human smiled, understanding and compassionate. “Let’s get married first.” 

  


They ate in silence, both of them lost in thought. Over the last week they’d had numerous ‘what if’ conversations, and repeating them at this point would be stress inducing and useless. They both understood that duty came first, and Eli had made Thrawn promise that if he ever went missing he wouldn’t go searching for him; that he would stay here and help his people. 

After dinner Thrawn took Eli’s dishes and once he’d gladly finished cleaning up the kitchen he joined him back at the table with two glasses of their favorite wine. The human was flipping through updates from the Fleets - the ones he had clearance for, anyway. 

“Anything?” Thrawn asked.

Eli shook his head as he took a sip of wine. He’d come to the conclusion that he would tell Thrawn if he stumbled upon something. If the Ascendancy was going to war Thrawn should be one of the first to know.

“We can check tomorrow morning,” Thrawn said quietly, standing. 

Eli shut down the terminal with a heavy sigh as Thrawn stepped around the table and graciously held out his hand for him to take. He glanced at it with a smirk, assuming he knew what he’d ask. “Tired of making sacrifices?”

The corner of Thrawn’s mouth lifted a touch. ”Not quite.”

Eli placed his hand in Thrawn’s and was instantly pulled into a warm embrace with his feet coming off the ground. He was spun around, laughing and hugging Thrawn tightly before being put back down and released. 

Thrawn hesitantly reached for his hand, wrapping his fingers gently around his as if he were a delicate, fragile… no, _revered_ artifact. He raised their interlocked hands above his head, guiding Eli to spin slowly beneath their arms before pulling him in close, chest flush with his own and hand clasped firmly in his. 

Eli raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, but allowed himself to be led, slowly revolving on the spot for a moment before saying with a playful smile, “He _does_ dance.”

Thrawn ‘bout rolled his eyes. “Not in public he doesn’t.”

The sound of Eli’s chuckle made his heart swell. Human fingertips trailed along the side of his neck to tenderly cup the back of it before leaning up to press their lips together. 

All the tension, fear, and anxiety fell away as their lips moved against each other’s, parting to taste sweet wine on their tongues. Thrawn placed a palm on the small of his back to pull him even closer still, feeling every line and curve of each other’s bodies as they rocked back and forth. 

Eli broke away first. His eyes shone beautifully in the low lighting and his face brightened with a warm, perfect grin before leaning in to rest his cheek against Thrawn’s shoulder. 

“I love you,” Thrawn purred into his hair. 

Eli whispered it back and felt the gentle pressure of Thrawn’s chin settle on top of his head, his heart beat setting a strong, steady pattern; a metronome of calm that contrasted with Eli’s chaotic mind as of late. 

They heard footsteps coming from down the hall, stop and retreat.

Eli chuckled softly. “I hope whatever Heron needed wasn’t important.”

“I’m sure it can wait.” 

They continued to move like that, swaying mindlessly to no music at all, reveling in the stillness and peace that so rarely graced their lives. 

Eli held Thrawn close, his hand balling in the fabric of his shirt, silently wishing to every higher power he knew of that they could have this moment, uninterrupted, just once. 

His wish was granted. It wasn’t until he was practically nodding off in Thrawn’s arms that they made their way to bed. 

Eli rolled over in bed and reached out…

His eyes popped open. Thrawn wasn’t lying beside him. 

He lifted his head, blinking sleepily in the darkness but unable to make out any movement or even a faint shadow across the room. Huffing, he flipped back the covers. He knew where Thrawn was. 

So he crept across the slick hardwoods of their main living space, careful to avoid the one spot where the floor always creaked, and made his way down the long, shadowy hall. The soft white light at the far end of the corridor cascaded down onto the floor, giving away Thrawn’s location. 

He just wanted to check on him. He’d wait right here, at the edge of the doorway, just long enough to hear the tapping of Thrawn’s keys; to know that he was still awake and hadn’t fallen asleep at his terminal- 

“Hello, Eli.”

Eli visibly cringed. _Damn._

Poking his head around the doorframe, he gave his moderately amused lover his best ‘I’m sorry’ grin.

“I don’t want to bother you.” Eli turned to leave.

“Eli,” Thrawn called, stopping him in his tracks. He retreated, to see the glint in Thrawn’s eye. “Please… bother me.”

Eli’s whole body seemed to vibrate. He couldn’t help it; that comment shot straight to his groin. He smiled and padded over. The Chiss pushed his chair away from his desk, making room for Eli to settle himself in his lap and drape an arm casually over his shoulders. 

“Are you hard at work?” he asked, leaning down to press his lips to Thrawn’s neck. He made a noise, one of Eli’s favorites, that resounded deep in his throat.

“Not currently.”

Eli smirked when he caught on. “I can fix that,” he whispered, swooping down to plant a wet kiss to Thrawn’s lips before rearranging to straddle his hips. 

Thrawn’s nails dug into the flesh of Eli’s thighs in response to his teeth pulling at his lower lip. He leaned into it, chasing his mouth until he captured it fully and when Eli moaned, Thrawn’s cock twitched at the glorious sound. “I want you.”

Their bodies pressed closer together, hard and needy as their lips moved as if starved for each other, wet and wanting, hands roaming and woven into each other’s hair. 

“I’m yours.”

It’d been too long since they allowed themselves this and Eli mentally thanked the heavens that they could have this moment, but just as he lowered a hand to the clasp of Thrawn’s trousers a very rude and obnoxious three-toned alert sounded, indicating an incoming call.

Thrawn detached his mouth from Eli’s long enough to peer around him, note that it was his brother calling, and deny the call.

“That could’ve been important,” Eli said, chuckling.

Thrawn slipped his hands under the soft fabric of Eli’s nightshirt, and brought it swiftly over his head. “It wasn’t,” he assured him, tossing the garment aside.

Eli returned the gesture, a fresh wave of arousal breaking over him when his eyes scanned his mate’s naked chest and torso, blue skin pulled tight over strong muscle; a perfect sculpture. How Thrawn still looked like _that_ …

Thrawn leaned in, bringing his mouth to Eli’s body to take one small, rounded nipple between his sharp teeth and _pulled._

“Ughhh,” Eli instinctively backed away, bracing himself with a single hand on Thrawn’s desk behind him.

Thrawn’s grip on his rib cage tightened and his eyes glittered as a small, devilish sneer appeared on his thin lips. 

“Apologies.”

“Liar,” Eli muttered, smiling, before kissing him again.

Thrawn moved to unclasp the fastener of Eli’s trousers and dipped his hand inside...

“As exciting as this is-” came a dry voice, one of which belonged to neither Eli nor Thrawn. “I did not sign up to watch the two of you copulate. So, if you don’t mind…” 

The couple jumped, both frantically looking behind Eli to find holographic Thrass watching them dispassionately, his chin resting heavily in his palm. 

Eli turned back around to face his partner and made a face of comical remorse. He must have activated the call back feature when he’d jumped back from Thrawn’s bite. 

Thrawn closed his eyes briefly, fighting the urge to toss his com unit out the window. He squeezed Eli’s taut cheeks before the human kissed him swiftly and hopped off his lap, moving to grab his shirt and redress. Thrawn’s eyes lingered for a moment on Eli’s half naked body - the muscles of his back as he moved - before swiveling his glowing red eyes now full of undisguised disdain on his brother. It was bad enough that _he_ was calling, but he’d also interrupted something that he wasn’t positive he’d be experiencing again anytime soon. That was just the icing on top of the cake for Thrawn.

“What, Thrass?”

Thrass threw a little backhanded wave in his direction. “I’ll wait until you put a shirt on.”

Thrawn straightened, indicating he had no such intentions. He simply pushed a few unruly locks of hair off his forehead. Eli, on the other hand, was pulling his shirt back over his head in the background, rearranging his trousers before sealing them back up.

“I don’t wish to keep you waiting. I assume your call is quite urgent,” Thrawn said with dry humor.

Eli appeared, fully dressed, over Thrawn’s shoulder. “Hi, Thrass.”

“Hello, human,” the Chiss replied with a smile.

“He has a name, Thrass,” Thrawn told him coolly as Eli draped his arms across his chest.

“I like his nickname better-”

“It’s not a nickname, it’s his _species._ ”

Thrass leaned closer to the holo, squinting his eyes and lowering his voice. “Are you in your _office_ , Thrawn?”

“Do not pass judgment, brother,” Thrawn said curtly. “Wasn’t it you who suggested I - what was it you said - ‘cultivate a life of balance and stability?’” Thrawn gestured vaguely to his workspace. “Observe me weighing work and pleasure: balance.”

“Ignoring my calls so you can fornicate was not what I meant,” Thrass replied flatly.

“What do you need, brother?”

Thrass took a breath, looking back and forth between both the men. “Actually, it’s fitting I have both of you here.”

A pair of red and a pair of brown eyes suddenly fixed sternly on him.

“I need you both in my office in one hour,” Thrass told them. “You’ve been summoned. Ar’alani will also be here.”

Eli frowned, stepping around Thrawn and grabbing a chair with one arm to swing it around and take a seat. “What’s the occasion?”

Thrass’s eyes flicked to Thrawn. “We’re going to have a visitor.”

“Who?” Thrawn asked, his eyes holding the same furrowed intensity as Eli’s.

Thrass sighed heavily. When he spoke his tone was one of exhaustion and reluctance. 

“Aristocra Mitth’eo’dore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Eli has something up his sleeve. Thrawn has a question for Eli.


	9. The Condition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli has something up his sleeve. Thrawn has a question for Eli.
> 
> Song: Divenire – Ludovico Einaudi. 3:03, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Thrawn and Eli enjoyed a sweet evening together. Thrass summoned them to his office.

  


Mitth’raw’nuruodo of the Eight Ruling Family followed Lt. Commander Eli’van’to of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet through the large double doors that served as entrance to the Chiss Central Edifice. The late hour meant the corridors were eerily quiet, dimly lit, and void of all others. Moonlight shone through the high ceiling panels and illuminated the two men briefly before casting them back into the shadows, their footsteps echoing off the marble interior as they strode to the syndic’s office. Upon arrival, they found the three people they’d been expecting, hovering around Thrass’s desk. 

After obligatory greetings and pleasantries, Aristocra Mitth’eo’dore cleared his throat and explained why they had all convened in the middle of the night, supposedly in secret. 

When he finished speaking the room fell into stunned silence. 

Eli’s mouth hung open, his heart thudding against his chest with excitement. Thrass straightened even further, if that was possible. Ar’alani, Eli could tell, was trying to hide her grin. He looked to Thrawn, who’s face held the most blatant confusion he had ever seen.

“There are problems that need solved, Thrawn,” Aristocra Theod continued. “Ar’alani tells me you are the Chiss to solve them. With an Admiral and Aristocra’s seal we can reinstate you tonight if you agree to help us.” 

Eli watched Thrawn expectantly, just as anxious for his reply as everyone else in the room.

“To which ship will I be assigned?” he asked with a glance toward Ar’alani.

She sighed, already prepared for this question for she knew it was one he would ask.

“The _Valiant._ Ivant will remain on the _Steadfast.”_

Eli waited with bated breath for Thrawn’s reply. He had no doubt that he’d accept the offer to return to the Fleets, but him doing so with the same stipulations as Eli wasn’t guaranteed. 

Thrawn opened his mouth. 

Eli couldn’t risk it. He stepped forward and slightly in front of Thrawn. “With conditions.”

Theod raised his eyebrows, taken aback by him daring to interfere. He faced Thrawn with the same quizzical expression. “Do you allow this human to-”

“He has a name, Aristocra,” Thrass said, before Thrawn could. “And he’s my brother's promised-mate and a member of the Fleets.” 

How dare anyone else call Eli by his _species._

Theod eyed Thrass challengingly before relenting with a minute nod. “My apologies. Do you, Mitth’raw’nuruodo, allow Eli’van’to to speak on your behalf?”

“I do,” Thrawn said finally. “For I am just as interested to hear what he has to say.”

Theod rounded on Eli. “Your terms?” he asked stiffly. 

Eli took a breath, glancing back at Thrawn over his shoulder. He received a small smile of encouragement and Eli knew he had his support, in whatever he was about to do.

“First off, any and all of Thrawn’s past transgressions against the Ascendancy will be forgiven and stricken from his record.”

The Aristocra’s back straightened at being told what to do. 

“Second, exile will never be on the table as an option again, as a punishment or otherwise.” 

Thrass was watching Thrawn as Eli spoke. His brother was watching no one in particular, his eyes studying the ceiling, no doubt all of his energy focused on the human’s words and apparently not disagreeing with any of them.

“And our final condition…” Eli said. He swallowed. “We’re permitted to marry.”

The room fell into a deafening silence as everyone stared at him, then slowly their gazes shifted to Theod.

But it was Ar’alani who spoke first, somewhat regretfully. “We cannot do that, Ivant. I cannot allow rules that have been in place for hundreds of years to be disregarded for a single human. I wish it weren’t so. I am sorry.”

If Eli felt offense to that statement he did not show it. Instead, a small grin played on his lips as if some part of her explanation amused him. 

“That’s just it: me being human. Those rules don’t apply to me.” 

“The law states-” Theod began. 

Eli interrupted him. “There are no laws about matched humans, only-” 

“Unmatched humans,” Thrawn finished for him, in dawning realization. His eyes were now fixed on Eli, an expression of awe blanketing his features. “Correct?”

Eli peered over his shoulder at him and they shared a small, hopeful smile. “Correct.”

“Can someone please explain that to me,” Thrass said, looking back and forth between Eli and the Aristocra, hoping one of them might shed some light on the situation. 

Eli began. “When I was made a merit adoptive by the Fourth Family I revoked whatever protection was awarded to me through the Outsider Laws. I became part of Chiss Society, and in Chiss Society there is not a _single_ law about a matched human.” 

“I expect it’s unheard of,” Theod said quietly. “And you’ve been adopted through merit not…”

He trailed off and released a heavy sigh.

“Compensation,” Thrass supplied dully. “I was wondering that as well, Aristocra. Technically that adoption is illegal.”

“Who’s adoption?” Ar’alani asked, frowning.

“Brierly Ronan,” Thrawn told her with a displeased expression.

“Ah.”

“So since there are no laws that apply to me,” Eli pressed. “I can be in the military and be married-“

“But Thrawn cannot,” Ar’alani said sternly.

Again silence fell over the group and again, Eli just grinned.

“He can,” he said softly, maintaining eye contact with her. “If he’s bonded beforehand.” 

He watched her mull it over for a moment before she slowly inclined her head. 

“So in order to make a marriage legal, all it needs is-”

“A signature from the Aristocra of the receiving Family,” Thrass chimed in, looking to Theod.

“And _then_ Thrawn can be reinstated,” Eli said with determination. 

There was a long, drawn out silence, heavy with suspense as the air hummed with possibilities. Eli’s heart raced, anticipation and hope flowing through him like rushing rapids. 

“Tactical,” Ar’alani said, turning toward Theod. “Clever. Just what we need.”

Eli could’ve sworn he saw her wink at him.

“That is our condition,” Eli said once more, mainly to the Aristocra this time. 

Thrass stepped toward him, speaking to Eli as if speaking to him alone. “If retaliation occurs by any of the Families, it will become very difficult for you and Thrawn.”

Thrass didn’t want to say that he wouldn’t be able to protect them if it came to that, but the syndic had a feeling Eli didn’t want or need protecting. Not any longer.

Eli met his worried gaze with a resolute one, then glanced at Theod, then his commanding officer. He did not need to look at Thrawn to know he’d have his support. Thrawn craved a higher sense of purpose than his current occupation supplied so his reappointment into the Fleets was essential. But so was marrying Eli. Thrawn had sent him here with hope that they would one day be bonded and this was how they’d do it. He’d dangle Thrawn in front of them; he only hoped they’d take the bait.

“I can’t remember a single time when it _hasn’t_ been difficult for Thrawn and I,” Eli said. “We’ll make it through. We always do.”

Thrass looked at his brother who was grinning at the ground.

“Thrawn?” he called.

Thrawn politely looked up.

“Do you second this motion, Mitth’raw’nuruodo?” Theod asked him.

Thrawn blinked and Ar’alani could just hear him say in that maddening tone. ‘Is it not obvious?’

The Chiss looked at Eli and grinned. “Without hesitation.”

Eli knew what that statement meant from Thrawn: unconditional, unwavering loyalty. He’d never felt a stronger sense of _home_ in that moment.

“So you’re telling me,” Theod said, using his hands to emphasize, “and you both agree - Thrawn will not be reinstated unless the two of you are bonded?”

“You need him,” Eli said plainly. 

Theod chuckled and humbly replied. “I don’t disagree.” 

Thrawn materialized at Eli’s side. “When were you going to tell me all of this?”

With a short glance up Eli answered. “When the information became relevant.”

“You could have told me your plan.”

“Yeah, and you could also tell me yours, but you haven’t.”

Thrawn caught Ar’alani’s eye at that and she raised a derisive eyebrow. He quickly came to the understanding, like a light switching on, that Eli had been behind her interrogation. 

Eli continued. “And it’s not like you haven’t sprung last minute plans on _me_ before.”

Thrawn felt a stab of guilt at Eli’s challenging, stubborn expression. He understood his frustrations and hated keeping things from him, but sometimes it was necessary. 

“Gentlemen,” Theod said, putting some authority into his voice. 

“Apologies, Aristocra,” Eli said, turning back toward the others. “Admiral, is there no way we could be assigned to the same ship?”

Ar’alani stiffened. “Allowing the two of you to be bonded is one thing, but revoking the rule of no fraternization of subordinates and commanding officers so the two of you can serve together is something I cannot do.”

“If it will ease any concern, Admiral, I will gladly take a demotion,” Thrawn told her. 

Ar’alani smirked, with an air of condescension. “Noble of you, Thrawn, but you’d be starting out as a Lieutenant. _Ivant_ would take the demotion.”

“I’ll do it,” Eli said automatically. He glimpsed Thrawn's expression of shock and dismay and tried quickly to explain. “Ranks have ceased to matter to me. I’ve never had much luck with them, anyway.”

“All the more reason for you to keep it,” Thrawn said, appalled. “The Ascendancy cannot afford someone with your abilities to step down.”

“Perhaps you should have spoken to Thrawn about the issue prior to this, Eli,” Thrass put in with a hint of annoyance. “So that these small details would have already been sorted out.”

“It’s not like I knew this was going to happen. And they _are_ sorted out,” Eli said, ignoring a snide comment from Thrawn. “Listen, I’ll take whatever rank will allow us to serve together.”

You could hear a pin drop in the room as everyone’s eyes turned to Ar’alani.

“No,” she finally said. Eli’s shoulders fell. “Thrawn is right. You have proven your abilities essential to the Ascendancy and I will not let you demote yourself.”

Thrass’s door suddenly swung open and Eli felt a wave of apprehension wash over him, half expecting Chiss security to appear and haul them all away. But instead it was Nemma, followed by the cadet they’d run into in the hall.

The young man nodded briskly to everyone in the room as he passed, eventually stopping in front of Ar’alani and proudly saluting her before saying. “It is finished, Admiral.”

Ar’alani’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Already?”

He nodded once. “I just received word and you said to inform you as soon as possible.”

“He tried to call,” Nemma supplied, trying to explain the reason for the young man’s sudden appearance and interruption. “He said it was urgent.”

Eli caught the small smile she threw in Thrass’s direction to which he returned with a wink, an oddly sauve gesture that Eli found himself commending. He smiled and turned back around. _Good for you, Thrass._

Ar’alani gave Ajal what passed for a smile. “You know your assignment, then.”

Ajal fought back his grin. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Go get some sleep,” she told him with a toss of her head. “Thank you for bringing him, Nemma. You are welcome to stay if you’d like.”

“Thank you, Admiral, but I should see him home,” Nemma said, gripping Thrass’s hand briefly before following Ajal out of the office. 

Ar’alani waited for the door to close before her eyes flicked between Thrawn and Eli. “Change of plans. You’ve both been promoted to Commander.”

“Well, that’s convenient,” Thrass muttered. 

Eli perked up and turned to smile at Thrawn, but the Chiss looked as confused as ever.

“Admiral?” he asked, taking a single step closer. 

She straightened before elaborating. “As the _Chimaera_ has known for some time, and as the _Steadfast_ has more recently learned, so too shall the _Csohn K’tici_ : the two of you work flawlessly together. It would be unwise to separate you.”

Eli let out a small puff of air in disbelief. He had anticipated the debate over the marriage issue and expected the resistance in allowing them to serve together, but in no way had he seen this coming. Them to be married, Thrawn to be reinstated and given a new ship and Eli - he let out a single breath of relief - serving beside him once again. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thrass’s head snap sideways toward his brother.

Thrawn was looking at Ar’alani with a mixture of confusion and astonishment. The crease between his eyebrows deepened. “Admiral-”

“There is no one better to command that ship,” Ar’alani said, almost gently. “It will arrive from the Copero Shipyards by morning. She’s freshly minted, Thrawn, so please treat her well.”

Thrawn inhaled, his chest expanding as he straightened to attention. “Of course, ma’am. Thank you.”

Eli took a startled step back when Thrass strode passed him to grasp his brother’s arm at the elbow, grinning in what Eli guessed was silent congratulations. Thrawn nodded distractedly, in acceptance of the praise, but Eli didn’t understand why he looked so hesitant.

“It’s settled, then,” Theod said. “A wedding and _then_ a reinstatement. Excellent.”

Thrass stepped back from his brother to give Eli a clear view of Thrawn’s wary gaze, the slightest of grins just barely touching his lips. Eli had never known Thrawn to be unsure about a command. His typical MO was to project copious amounts of confidence and assurance in everything he did. Did he think this command would be too much for him?

Eli caught Thrass’s eye, attempting to convey that he had no idea what was happening with a single look. Ar’alani called Thrawn over to speak with him privately and Thrass motioned to Eli while Theod set about pulling up the necessary documents.

“What is it?” Thrass asked.

Eli shrugged. “Thrawn looks… uneasy.”

Thrass chuckled. “As well he should. Ar’alani practically placed the weight of the entire Ascendancy on his shoulders. It’s actually quite wicked-” 

“I don’t understand.”

“Did you catch the name of the ship she gave him?” 

Eli nodded and repeated it’s title. “But what does it mean?”

Thrass grinned and then glanced at Thrawn. “It means The Red Flame. It’s not a _thing_ ; it’s an ideal, a state of being. It represents courage, discipline, perfection, everything Chiss warriors aspire to be,” Thrass grinned. “It’s not exactly _attainable_. I hate to say it, but I think Thrawn has finally reached his peak.” 

“With all due respect, Syndic,” Eli said, grinning. “I don’t think Thrawn is limited in that sense.”

Thrass eyed the human. “Perhaps not. Interesting loophole you stumbled upon, by the way. Breaking the law a bit, though, don’t you think?”

Eli gave him a look. _“Bending,_ not breaking. No one is going to jail. Just might have a bit more paperwork.”

“And some damage control-”

“It’ll be fine, Thrass.”

“And if the press ever finds out… why haven’t you mentioned this before? Seems to me you’ve held onto it for a while.” 

Eli stood taller, proudly, inhaling as he did so. “I needed to be sure they’d go for it. I needed leverage.”

“Thrawn.” Thrass said plainly. Eli faced him without an ounce of guilt in his eye. “You needed Thrawn as leverage.”

Eli did not respond, just looked to his soon-to-be husband.

Thrass muttered under his breath. “Using other people to secure the results you want… how very Thrawnlike.” 

Eli shot him a look as Thrawn left Ar’alani’s side to join them.

“It’ll be an honor to serve under you again, sir,” Eli told him.

Thrawn smiled at him. “Not under. _With.”_

Eli grinned back, eyes sparkling.

“Gentlemen,” Theod called to them. “Over here, if you please.”

Thrawn and Eli walked over. He looked at both of them in turn. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” they both said together.

“There isn’t much by way of ceremonial proceedings, I’m afraid.” the Aristocra told them. “It’s solely a legal binding of two people. You are both alright with the simplicity of it?”

Eli turned to Thrawn. “I know how you value tradition…”

“I also value efficiency and eliminating unnecessary conversation,” Thrawn said, picking up a stylus. “Where do I sign?”

A playful grin lit up Eli’s features at Thrawn’s enthusiasm.

“Eager, Thrawn?” Thrass asked dryly.

Thrawn ignored him. The Chiss turned to Eli. “Is it alright with you?”

He’d never been more alright with anything in his life. He nodded sweetly, but Thrawn’s eyes remained locked on his, his expression holding careful calculation. 

“Alright-” Theod began.

“Apologies, Aristocra,” Thrawn said, quieting the other man.

He placed the stylus on the desk and abruptly turned to face Eli. He spoke his name softly and then, without preamble, dropped to one knee in front of the human.

“Thrawn!” Eli exclaimed, laughing. “You just said-”

Thrawn gingerly took his hands in his own and pressed his lips to them. “If this is the beginning of the rest of our lives, I would at least like to do one thing properly. You deserve more…”

His voice trailed off. Eli would never know what grand ceremony Thrawn might have planned for them, but he found it hardy mattered. Smiling encouragingly, he prompted Thrawn to continue. “It’s fine, Thrawn. Go on.”

Thrawn took a breath. 

_“Thrass.”_

Thrawn looked over his shoulder at his brother, sneakily recording the moment.

“I just thought you’d want-”

“Turn it off,” Eli said sharply. 

Scolded like a disobedient child, Thrass huffed and tucked the device away. Thrawn glared at him before facing Eli once more. 

With butterflies in his stomach, Eli smiled at the man on his knees before him. He never thought he’d see the day. After sifting through all the law articles and the many documents, after waiting until the opportune time to reveal what he knew, the time was finally upon them. 

“I realize this is a little redundant,” Thrawn said. “Considering we have already made this decision, but nevertheless… I don’t know a life with or without you that hasn’t been difficult. I imagine it will always be so. But there is no one I choose to go through those hardships with. At the beginning of every morning and through every long night, I choose you. I will continue to choose you until life grants me no more choices. And if you choose me-”

“I do,” Eli said with a small laugh that could’ve been a sob. “I’ll always choose you.” 

Thrawn grinned, let out a breath and continued. “I know life with me has not always been easy, nor will it ever be perfect.” He paused, taking another breath. “I would not be who I am without you. You have supported me, humored me… shown me patience, and gave me strength.”

Eli melted at those kind words as Thrawn paused another moment. He had not expected Thrawn to unload all this sentiment and praise on him, but he was finding he rather liked it. 

“Years ago, you said you were ‘supposed to be’ by my side. And then, to be contrary, I sent you here,” he said, smiling. The irony of his comment was not lost on any one. Thrass smiled, Eli chuckled, and the other two shared a knowing glance. “You were right, of course,” Thrawn continued. “What you did not know is that I am also supposed to be by _your_ side, and I do not intend to depart from that position again. Eli Vanto, will you be my partner in all things and grant me the immense honor of accepting my hand?”

Eli couldn’t suppress the silly, broad smile that spread across his face. “I’ve been promised to you for years, some of the hardest years of my life, years when I haven’t even been able to talk to you. I’ve never once considered calling it off. So, yes. Absolutely. Without a doubt.”

Thrawn grinned, looking oddly relieved, and rose to his feet. Eli laid a hand gently on his arm. “I think I should say something.”

“You don’t have to-”

“I’d like to,” Eli told him, with a quick questioning glance at the Aristocra, who waved him on. “There are Lysatran vows that my people speak when they get married. Can I… can I make a few promises to you?”

Thrawn squeezed his hand. “Of course you can.”

Eli nodded resolutely. “Ok, let’s see if I remember these.” He took a deep breath and gripped Thrawn’s hand. “Um…ok. I promise that when I run, I’ll run away with you. I promise to be gentle with your body, and even more so with your heart. I promise that if I steal, I’ll steal your kisses. I promise that if I cheat, I’ll cheat time so I can spend more with you.” He took a breath, glancing over Thrawn’s shoulder at Thrass to see him smiling kindly, not a snide remark to be voiced. He turned back to Thrawn to see the love in his eyes and continued on. “I promise that if I lie, I’ll lie by your side. I promise that when I say I love you more, I mean more than faults, more than bad days, more than sleeping alone the many nights we’ve been apart. I promise myself to you, and to our future, until my dying day.”

He blinked, finding that his eyes were wet. Thrawn was gazing at him with the look he reserved only for him and he felt a new sense of purpose wash over him at those promises; he’d meant every last word. He wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, staring fondly into each other’s eyes and losing all sense of time, until Thrass cleared his throat and Eli finally looked away, a blissful smile still on his lips.

Thrawn squeezed his hand and faced Theod. “You may proceed, Aristocra.”

Thoed smiled at them. “Alright. Mitth’raw’nuruodo, sign here. Eli’van’to, sign here. Ivant, you will not be changing your name, correct?”

Eli paused at the unexpected question, unsure as to what he’d change it to if he did. “I don’t think I need to.”

Thrawn squeezed Eli’s hand once more and whispered. “You have sacrificed enough.”

Eli looked at him and a silent understanding passed between them. They took turns signing their names and when they were done Theod sealed their fate with his mark.

“Two witnesses are also needed,” Theod said. “Mitth’ras’safis? Admiral?”

The others stepped forward to sign their names. Eli looked at Thrawn to find the Chiss already eyeing him, a tender expression in his eye. 

“Alright,” Theod said, glancing at the men. “It’s done.”

A thought then crossed Eli’s mind. “Do we need to kiss or… anything?”

Theod looked at him, as did Thrass and Ar’alani. 

“I believe,” Theod said, slowly. “Your new husband can show you what needs to be done now.”

Eli felt his cheeks grow warm. He looked helplessly at Thrawn.

“Nothing you have not already mastered,” Thrawn said reassuringly.

Thrass pinched the bridge of his nose. “Good Gods, Thrawn.”

“So that’s that,” Theod said, turning away from the couple with raised brows. “Admiral, if we are to reinstate Thrawn, I’ll need your signature one more time.”

“Of course,” Ar’alani said, a grin still lingering on her lips. She turned to her two commanders. “Fleets depart tomorrow at 0900. I expect you are free to go.” She glanced at Theod to confirm. “I will see you in the morning.”

Thrawn bowed his head toward her in acknowledgment and thanked the Aristocra for his assistance.

“Thank you for yours,” Theod said, his eyes shifting to Eli. “Both of you.”

Thrawn gripped Eli’s hand and turned them towards the exit.

“Brother,” Thrawn said curtly as he passed Thrass.

“Bye, Thrass,” Eli said, smiling.

“Goodbye, human,” Thrass said, with a wave of dismissal. “Have fun.”

Commander Eli’van’to followed his husband, his new bond-mate, reinstated Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo from the building and back to their home to spend their first night together as married men, _finally._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! They’re married! Idk about you guys but I’m ready for something other than tension and romance. Let’s go to war. Tbh the next thirteen chapters are practically another fic, so hold onto your butts for WN: Part 2!
> 
> Disclaimer: apparently Eli’s vows are eerily similar to the vows said in the movie Leap Year. 
> 
> Next time: Thrawn and Eli board the _K’tici_ for her first voyage.


	10. The Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn and Eli board the _K’tici_ for her first voyage. 
> 
> Song: After Earth - James Newton Howard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: They got married! And Thrawn was reinstated. 
> 
> Greetings! It’s taken a while to update this fic but I’ve finally got it up and running again! Just some small notes: I’m keeping with the original Aristocra structure and not changing much of my original plan for this, despite the additional information we’ve gleaned from CR. I’ll change a few small things along the way, but nothing pertinent to the conclusion of this fic. I've also gotten rid of that Major Character Death warning. Also, I’m pretty sure the ranks of captain and commander are swapped, so let’s just say Thrawn and Eli are the highest ranking on the _K’tici._ : )

  
Eli gazed at his reflection in the mirror that stood propped in a corner of their bedroom. He didn’t feel any different; didn’t look any different, but he was a married man now. He breathed in deeply, the lines of his face smoothing ever so slightly in response to that glorious thought, and he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. The corner of his lips curved up in a half smile. 

Thrawn had sent him to the Ascendancy years ago for many reasons. To run data for Admiral Ar’alani had been the official explanation for his sudden appearance, with all of the Aristocra aware of his presence under that impression. The only exception was Thrass, of course. He’d seen right through Eli, and the human wouldn’t put it past Ar’alani to also have suspected something, although she’d never accused him. Thrawn’s secret reasoning had been for him to discover how he, as a human, could marry a Chiss so that when Thrawn returned, they could continue on as partners in the truest sense. 

And he’d done it.

Latching the silver clasps of his blacked out CDF uniform collar to conceal the faint love bite Thrawn had left behind from early that morning, he picked up and fingered the pin Thrawn had promised himself to Eli with before sending him away. He considered it for a moment. The small object had been given to Thrawn by his mother, and although Eli treasured it, he knew he’d never be able to fully appreciate its significance. Regardless, he’d wear it proudly as a symbol of his promise to Thrawn. He raised it to his uniform.

“Are you going to wear that?” 

Eli’s heart leapt into his throat. He hadn’t realized Thrawn had been leaning against the doorframe to their room, watching him. He was dressed in his new uniform, complete with the Mitth shoulder patch of a sunrise. Eli mused with a slight tilt of his head that he’d missed seeing him in one.

He couldn’t help but grin. “Hi.”

Thrawn returned it with an easy smile of his own, momentarily masking the shadow that returned to darken his features. “Are you going to wear that?”

Eli peered down at the small pin in his hand as Thrawn slid up behind him. He hadn’t been free to openly wear it for years and now that they were bonded, Thrawn was questioning if he should? He looked up to meet Thrawn’s eyes in the mirror. 

“You shaved,” Thrawn said plainly. 

Eli spun to face him. “You cut your hair,” he said in response, tucking away a silky strand of blue-silver hair near his ear. 

Thrawn grinned and ran his thumb lightly over Eli’s smooth cheek. “You look handsome.”

Eli snorted. He probably looked like he did when they’d first met; young, naive. He’d grown so much since their early beginnings. But then again, he conceded with a hint of nostalgia and bittersweet memory, this was how he’d looked when Thrawn first fell in love with him. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad that his husband found this look appealing. 

A reply of ‘you too’ would be a gross understatement. Thrawn, who had always been striking in his Imperial uniform, was even more so in the black of a CDF officer, his mature features and strong physique filling out the sleek uniform perfectly, and with his family symbol adorning his shoulder, Eli had to admit there was something inherently _right_ about the image. Right, satisfying, and enticing. 

He looked him over, dropping his eyes past his belted waist and down to his shiny new boots, only to be raised once more as a blue finger gently tucked itself beneath his chin and lifted it. Their eyes met moments before their lips, soft and warm and momentarily distracting. 

Eli pulled back. “Should we not mark our marriage somehow?”

Thrawn just gazed at him. “Do we need to?” he asked quietly.

It would be irresponsible to flaunt it, Eli supposed with a heavy sigh. Tempers and situations were volatile enough without the antagonization of a human and Chiss marriage so blatantly displayed, and on the bridge of a warship no less.

“No,” Eli said, turning and dropping the pin in the same place on his dresser that it’d been for years. “We don’t need to.”

  
  
  
  


Ar’alani hadn’t been joking. The _K’tici_ was beautiful, larger than most Chiss ships, immaculate and bustling with a lively and young, but competent crew. They each wore freshly pressed uniforms, pristine patches and shining insignia plaques. Eli passed groups striding one in front of the other or side by side, recognizing most of them to be Elite Youth. Some spoke quietly to each other as they made their way to their stations, or walked with their heads bowed as they regarded their questises, but all of them took a moment to consider Eli with respectful glances as he passed. He wasn’t their captain, as this was Thrawn’s ship, but he outranked them, and new warriors were always eager to please those with more experience. When Ajal strode past, the young man stopped and saluted, to which Eli gave a kind smile.

Nodding at the two Chiss standing guard at the entrance to the bridge, he stepped inside the hatch — to the flawless white of new sensor, weapon, and communication consoles arranged in double rows around the bridge. In stark contrast to the black and grey of Imperial equipment, this ship gleamed with white monitors and bright light, minus the black command chair in the center with its red piping that ran along the head and armrests. Eli swallowed. _Nice touch._ He hadn’t been here when Thrawn arrived on the bridge, and therefore hadn’t seen his reaction to that detail. Eli hoped the reminder hadn’t added any stress. He believed in Thrawn, and had already… _expressed_ … that belief and admiration last night. He had no doubt he’d made it very clear what he thought of Thrawn and his new promotion. But in truth it didn't so much matter what Eli thought. 

With a quick glance out the viewport, he noticed the blackdock begin to shrink from view as they moved away and into open space. 

The bridge was buzzing as Eli stepped further inside. He could feel it. Not with conversation, as voices were typically kept low and subdued. Not with activity, as most Chiss on the bridge maintained a professional aura that came off calm and collected. It was buzzing with energy, the underlying anticipation and excitement of the _K’tici’s_ first journey thrumming in all their veins like the steady rumble of the ship's engines beneath their feet. 

Eli was surprised to learn that Un’hee and the rest of Hazel Iris had been assigned to The Red Flame. He smiled at her and her three sister navigators as he made his way along the command walkway. The girls stood besides their controls as one of the senior bridge officers acquainted them to their new station. Un’hee waved at him, her own smile bright and refreshed, looking much less grim than the last time he’d seen her on Naporar. It still awed Eli that they, as military leaders, placed their faith in children to send their ships into battle and to pull them swiftly from it if necessary. Awed, yes, but not in the sense that it seemed out of place any longer. Instead, the awe stemmed from reverence of their magnificent power and promise, something they’d just barely begun to tap into. 

Eli arrived at the comm station to stand beside Thrawn and his first officer, directly across from the navigators station. The Chiss half turned with a pleasant smile meant only for him. Eli returned it, keeping quiet as the projection of Admiral Ar’alani lit up before them. 

The _Steadfast, Csohn K’tici_ , and _Valiant_ commanders — Ar’alani, Thrawn, and Commander Khresh respectively — were all present and accounted for. The image before them flickered twice as the ship traveled further from the docking station and its communication spires, transitioning to rely on their own vessel's system. 

Eli glanced over and saw Un’hee sitting patiently in her seat, the other navigators nowhere to be found. Apparently she had the first shift. He turned back to the meeting, gleaning their destination: the last known sighting of a Grysk warship. Odd, Eli thought. More often than not they dealt with Grysk clients, not the Grysks themselves. 

Out of the corner of his eye and drawing his attention, Eli saw Un’hee stiffen. Sky-walkers did that sort of thing all the time, though, being that their Sight picked up a variety of mild to severe alerts. Eli knew if it was serious enough Un’hee would speak up. So he waited for it to pass. 

Only it didn’t. Un’hee remained tense in her seat for many moments after. Eli suspected that the girl possessed a higher sensitivity to dangers and threats, being as she had once been a slave to the Grysks. That level of cognizance could be honed, surely, and after witnessing what some of the girls could do in the caves Eli believed them capable of anything. 

Once the ships had received their final orders and Ar’alani cut the line, Eli waited for Thrawn to acknowledge him with a comment or question, but he turned and strode to the weapons station with his first officer, leaving Eli free to consult with the young girl. 

“Navigator Un’hee?” Eli asked when he reached her. 

“Hello, Commander Ivant,” the girl said, formally. She didn’t bother glancing up at him, as if she'd been expecting him. “You are coming to check on me.”

Eli tried to keep the guilt off his face. He knew she didn’t appreciate being monitored like a child. “Yes. Are you alright?”

“I… saw something,” she said with a frown, working to formulate her thoughts into a cohesive explanation. Her voice dropped lower. “I sensed something.” 

Eli glanced out of the viewport. “Out there?” That wasn’t surprising. They were heading out for a reconnaissance mission that could very well lead them into battle. 

The girl was staring up at him when he looked back down, and her small red eyes locked on to his. “In here.” 

Eli frowned and broke eye contact after a moment of gazing into her grave expression to peer around the bridge before squatting down beside her to speak more softly. “Do you know what it is?”

Her eyes flashed behind him, almost of their own volition before snapping back to his. Eli looked over his shoulder to see: _Thrawn._

Thrawn? A danger to the navigator? Surely that wasn’t right. But then again, Eli recalled her confessing difficulty in trusting her fellow Chiss. She had also said that because he was human, Eli was the only person she could trust outside of Ar’alani.

Thrawn moved from the weapons station, giving way to a Chiss male with a glittering senior captain’s badge and wearing a yellow shoulder patch. Thrawn’s first officer. Eli knew who the man was. Looking back at Un’hee, he saw the girl straighten and promptly avert her gaze from the gold-patched Chiss.

Before Eli could say anything, Thrawn made his way past the first half circle of terminals to the two of them. “Is something the matter?” he asked calmly.

Eli looked at Un’hee, who hopped out of her seat to stand at attention. “No, sir.”

The corner of Thrawn’s lip curved up in a kind smile. “Navigator Un’hee, would you excuse Commander Ivant and I for a moment?”

The girl’s flicker of confusion came and went so quickly, if Eli blinked he would’ve missed it. He didn’t blame her. Thrawn was asking her to leave her post and yet they were expected to depart soon.

She opened her mouth to clarify but Thrawn spoke kindly. “Your ready room will suffice. Please send another navigator to take your shift.” 

With a quick, worried glance at Eli she nodded and left the bridge. Eli frowned, knowing that she would think she’d done something wrong for having been dismissed before her shift even began. 

Thrawn silently watched her leave, and then rounded on Eli. “What did she tell you?” 

The human flinched, surprised at the urgency in Thrawn’s voice. It held just enough of a command to irk him. He shook his head, his words caught in his throat. “I’m… not at liberty to say.”

If Eli didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn Thrawn appeared taken aback for the briefest of moments. “The safety of this crew and the success of this mission could be at stake,” he reasoned. “So I ask you again, what did she tell you?”

Eli bristled. This wasn’t exactly how he expected to be treated as a new commander. But he supposed Thrawn had a point, and now - on the bridge - was not the place for this conversation lest it spark the appearance of divided leadership. Still, just because Thrawn demanded something, did not mean Eli had to comply. They were equals now, in more ways than one and Thrawn had to realize that he would not stand for being bossed around. Nevertheless, if something was wrong, the ship’s senior officers should be aware of it.

He took a calming breath. _Subtlety._

The human’s shoulders fell with his exhale. “Let me talk to her first. I’m sure there’s a reason she didn’t tell you. Let me find out what that reason is.”

Thrawn hesitated, red eyes scanning his. Then he nodded once. “She trusts you.”

The statement didn’t warrant a confirmation. They were both aware that Un’hee trusted Eli more than anyone else on this ship, besides perhaps her sister navigators. 

“Do nothing to betray that,” Thrawn told him, as if it wasn’t obvious. “But if you can, convince her of the need to share her concerns with command.”

“And…” Eli inwardly cringed from what he was about to say, “if command refers only to me?”

Thrawn’s eyes bore into his. The last thing Eli wanted to do was disrespect Thrawn, but he was a senior officer now, and he had a responsibility to everyone aboard this ship the same as Thrawn. And what was more, Ar’alani and Vah’nya had tasked him with the protection of the navigators specifically. He had every intention of performing that task to the best of his ability. If that meant going above Thrawn, so be it. 

They stared at each other, gazes locked in a battle of will power and rank, tinged with the comfort of familiarity, which did nothing to ease the tension from the moment. Eli waited with bated breath to find out if this would be a moment of growth for them, or their first professional sheering point. 

“I trust you, as well,” was all Thrawn said before walking away. 

Eli let out the breath he’d been holding as he watched him go. Now to talk to Un’hee, and he knew just where to find her.

  
  
  
  


Well, he thought he knew. 

His assumption was proven incorrect when he arrived at the double-red-rimmed door that served as the entrance to the sky-walker’s quarters. Pausing, he pressed his fingers to the brightly lit emerald dial that indicated entry was welcomed. Taking a tentative step inside, he was met with two pairs of curious red eyes peering around the doorways to their individual rooms. Ray’ne, the oldest, shook her head after he’d glanced inside Un’hee’s room to find it empty.

“Do you know where she is?” He asked in a gentle tone.

“The Admiral had a special space created for us,” she said, stepping out of her room. “By the training center. You could try there.”

Eli logged a mental note to inquire as to what this “special space” was. He opened his mouth to thank the young woman but was interrupted. 

“She’s not there,” Ru’ta, the younger girl said, also exiting her room. She shuffled her feet. “I told her you were coming. So she went somewhere you couldn’t find her.”

The human frowned, bewildered by more than one of those comments. “What do you mean?”

The girl met his gaze hesitantly. “I told her I wouldn’t tell.” 

His eyes, usually warm and kind, turned stern and carried an unspoken warning. He could see the girl quickly rethinking who she was withholding information from. “She said she wanted to be alone. Does that help?”

It didn’t. There were countless locations a person could go to be alone aboard a massive ship. 

“She said she wanted to go someplace else,” Ru’ta tried again. “Does that-“

“She’s on the fourth level,” Ray’ne said in exasperation, rolling her eyes at the younger girl’s riddles. 

“Hey! I said I wouldn’t tell!” Ru’ta complained, whipping her head around to glare at her sister. 

“ _You_ didn’t,” the eldest girl pointed out. 

“Stop reading my mind!”

Eli decided to let them argue in peace and slowly backed out. “Thank you for your help.” 

The sound of their bickering followed him out into the hall and was only silenced when the door slid shut behind him. 

He strode along the corridors in search of the missing girl, wondering if it had been Thrawn’s dismissal that had upset her or something else. He glanced out the long glass panels lining the walls, revealing the white and blue view of mottled stars as they propelled through navigator-assisted lightspeed. When not in travel, the windows provided a beautiful view out to the many constellations. It was something he had grown to appreciate over the course of his many years aboard a ship. Any chance to look _out_ was welcomed. 

He let out a sigh. No wonder Un’hee wanted to be someplace else. He could only imagine how boring a warship would be for a child. 

The sound of soft rummaging from inside one of the escape pods floated to his ears as he approached the rows of small vessels. Peering inside one of them, he found her with her back towards him. 

“I specifically recall Commander Thrawn asking you to wait in your ready room.”

Un’hee jumped and swore, whipping around to face him. He’d told himself not to appear angry that she’d wandered off, but that language was… where did she even learn that? He raised his eyebrows and folded his arms across his chest. 

She muttered an apology as she sat up straight, her cheeks turning a dark shade of purple. A moment of silence passed before she glanced up at him and spoke timidly. “Is he mad at me?” 

Eli uncrossed his arms. “No.”

Un’hee let out an exhale of relief, the tension in her shoulders relaxing just a little. 

“May I?” He asked, motioning to the seat across from the girl. 

She nodded reluctantly and he ducked to keep from hitting his head as he stepped into the shuttle to take a seat.

“No, he’s not mad,” he repeated. “But…” he glanced around the cramped space. “What are you doing in here?”

Her eyes wouldn’t quite meet his so he tilted his head trying to get a better view of her face, but she just evaded him even more. There were things she’d probably never feel comfortable telling him. Maybe because he was a man, or because he was an officer, but what he couldn’t understand was why she preferred to be alone versus with others cut from the same cloth. Surely she related to her sisters more than anyone. Her distance couldn’t just be because she thought she’d been in trouble. 

Un’hee lifted a shoulder. “It’s quiet in here. Sometimes I get… overwhelmed. Vah’nya — “ she cut herself off. Eli waited patiently for her to finish her sentence, but she just ducked her head. Then, as if a light switched on, her expression lit up and she radiated cheerfulness. “Hey look! Look what I found!” Eli grinned at the sudden change, but it faded quickly when he saw what she’d stumbled upon. 

She pulled a gleaming knife from under her seat. 

“Un’hee!”

“What?” she asked, as if unsure why he was suddenly filled with concern. “It’s not mine, I just found it. Here, look...” she pushed open a hatch along the outer wall behind her. “There’s a ton in here,” she explained. 

And so there were. An array of weapons sat inside the small compartment. Grenades, knives, a pointed disc of some kind, and even a charric. Eli frowned. Was it standard protocol to load escape pods with weaponry? He’d never had to utilize one. 

The girl was eyeing him nervously, waiting for him to say something. 

“Interesting,” was what he landed on. 

She closed the hatch, still watching him. “If Commander Thrawn is not angry, why did you come searching for me?”

“You ran off-”

“Most people don’t care where I go,” she countered. 

He fought back a sigh, feeling as though he was being interrogated. 

“Especially not senior bridge officers,” she added, peering closely at him. 

Un’hee was pushing. Gently, but pushing nonetheless. She was bright and he knew he couldn’t fool her. The problem was she knew that, too, and she wouldn’t back down until he’d given her an honest answer. He opened his mouth to explain. 

“Commander Thrawn wants me to tell him what I sensed,” she said for him. 

Eli couldn’t stop himself from grinning, despite his twinge of guilt. He didn’t know why he even tried to explain things to the navigators when they guessed what was on his mind half the time. 

The girl hung her head, hiding her eyes and wringing her hands. “I can’t tell him anything, Eli. I don’t know anything. It’s just… a feeling.”

Eli sighed and shrugged. “Tell him that, then. And only if you want to. He won’t be upset with you.” 

Her alert eyes found his. “I am scared,” she admitted in a small, accented voice.

“Of Thrawn?” Eli asked, smiling to lighten the moment.

She grinned a little as well. “No. Not of him. He is… a safe place. Not the same as you, but…”

Trailing off, her gaze lowered to her clasped hands as her little shoulders sagged. Once again Eli was struck with the troublesome concern that the Ascendancy placed too much pressure on their girls. Regardless of the power they possessed, they were still children. He moved to sit beside her, their knees and shoulders touching. She shuttered and wrapped her arms around her small frame, leaning into him slightly. Of course she was scared. She had every right to be.

Eli chided himself for his ignorance as it dawned on him. She was not like the other navigators and never would be. Which was why she didn’t find being around them a comfort to her. 

They remained sitting like that for a full minute before he spoke, wanting her to feel his closeness, wanting her to know he’d protect her. 

“You wanna know somethin’?” 

She looked up at him with questioning, wounded eyes, and shivered again. 

He grinned and said, “You’re one of the bravest people I know. And whether or not you choose to tell Thrawn anything, I still believe that.” 

They locked eyes for a moment, but in the end she looked away again to stare at her feet. His words hadn’t seemed to help. 

“Here,” he said, gingerly reaching for the knife and placing it in the compartment with the others. “Let’s put these away…” The sound of her giggling at him made him smile. “I’m thinking, and correct me if I’m wrong, that neither one of us wants to upset Commander Thrawn.”

Her eyes widened at the thought. “No, we don’t.”

“So we should probably head back then, huh?”

She hesitated. Eli stood and held out his hand. “I don’t want to walk back alone. Will you walk with me?”

Cautiously, she placed her smaller hand in his and allowed herself to be led from the pod.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Our commanders chat and Thrass visits Aristocra Mitth’eo’dore.


	11. The Aristocra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our commanders chat with Un’hee and Thrass visits Aristocra Mitth’eo’dore.
> 
> Song: Skyborn - Ivan Torrent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Un’hee had a bad feeling.

Eli waited quietly for Thrawn’s response. It was entirely possible he didn’t have any more knowledge regarding the situation than Eli did, but it was something he ought to be privy to if he wasn’t already. 

“You are aware of our nation's current political unrest, commander,” Thrawn muttered as he stood leaning over the small desk. “Surely the state of things gives insight as to why such a precaution is necessary.”

Eli continued to stare out the viewport of Forward Visual One. They’d chosen this room as their informal meeting space, preserving their offices for more official matters. 

So Thrawn had been the one to stock the escape pods. Understandable, Eli mused, in case they were backed into a corner and jumping ship became the most viable option. He gazed over his shoulder at his husband, watching the glow of his eyes scan his questis. Of course, if the unthinkable occurred and Thrawn was forced to give orders to evacuate, he himself would never abandon his ship. That was the true warrior mentality. He was much like Ar’alani in that sense, willing to sacrifice whatever necessary to protect her loyal crew members. 

If Thrawn gave that order, Eli pondered, would he go or remain at his side? 

“Do you think it will come to that?” he asked the stars streaking across the viewport ahead.

“We are heading for the Chaos,” Thrawn reminded him. “Therefore we must be prepared for even the unexpected.”

“Are we?” Eli asked him coolly with a glance over his shoulder. 

Thrawn met his gaze and it was as if everything they’d never said spanned the short distance between them, creating a chasm wider than the stretch of space between Imperial and Chiss worlds. 

“Our crew is young,” Eli muttered as he turned back to the view, changing the subject. 

“Inexperienced, you mean.”

There were pros and cons to that. Inexperience meant eager to please and follow orders, but was often accompanied with tentativeness, which could mean the difference between life and death. Eli thought back to Ajal and what he’d said in the halls of the Aristocra, proud and rebellious, willing to stand tall for what others deemed impossible. Or foolish. 

Experience, on the other hand, meant their crew performed as a well-oiled machine. But that also meant navigating family dynamics and viewpoints that should be kept separate from the military but weren’t. The eldest warriors followed orders begrudgingly at times, communicating wordlessly their own ideas and opinions on how things should be run. That led to a breakdown in command, a dichotomy within the ranks, an unwillingness to follow orders they disagreed with; resistance.

Eli let the moment stretch a beat longer, recalling when such tendencies had stirred up trouble on the _Steadfast,_ before softly replying to Thrawn’s assumption. “Yes.” He continued, striding to where Thrawn was hunched over now scribbling on his questis. “I noticed Chaf’erk’kema is on the bridge.” 

The Chiss hummed his affirmation.

“As your senior captain and first officer,” Eli said, pressing for something more than an indifferent huff from Thrawn. “Was his assignment your doing?”

“Not fully,” Thrawn answered without so much as a glance in his direction. “But I accepted it. He belongs on the bridge.”

The human struggled to keep his face neutral as he fought his bewilderment. Ar’alani had advised against giving Eli the position, which he understood and even backed whole heartedly. But him? He was a Chaf. Eli knew better than to hold such prejudices, but still… 

“Do you think that’s wise?” he asked Thrawn, remembering the altercation from Thrawn’s return to the Ascendancy. He couldn’t help but distrust the man as he’d always been among the loudest contributors of snide remarks and general disdain for Thrawn.

The scratching of Thrawn’s stylus paused for a brief moment at the question, then started up again.

“Do you not?”

“I think it's reckless.”

Again, the sound of Thrawn’s stylus quieted, but he did not look up. “Like you said, our crew is young. It would therefore be beneficial to have a veteran warrior on the bridge. If not for his experience in battle then because I prefer to keep him within reach.”

Eli crossed his arms. “I would normally agree with that logic if not for-”

There was a knock at the door, to which Thrawn replied, and a young woman stepped inside. “Commanders, someone to see you, if you’ll have visitors.”

With a quick glance toward Eli, Thrawn spoke. “Send them in.” 

The woman gave a curt nod and left. Thrawn and Eli held eye contact just long enough to communicate that this conversation wasn’t over. 

Appearing in the doorway a few seconds later was Un’hee, her head held high and her arms clasped behind her back. Eli let his arms fall to his sides and Thrawn stepped in front of the desk to greet her as the door to the makeshift office closed behind her with a soft click.

“E-Commander Ivant told me to come to you when I was ready to talk,” she said, speaking to Thrawn. Her jaw clenched and unclenched and her eyes flashed to Eli’s. He returned her uncertain gaze with a warm smile. 

“I…” she swallowed and stood straighter. “I’m sorry to disappoint you commander. I wish I could tell you something that would-”

Thrawn took two steps and knelt before her, effectively silencing the girl as her mouth snapped shut. It was an odd gesture for him, Eli thought with a slight tilt of his head. 

“You will not disappoint me,” Thrawn told her kindly. “You are vital to this ship and therefore vital to its commanders.”

The girl flushed, a little unsure what to make of an adult kneeling down to be on her level, the captain no less, and speaking to her as if she… mattered.

“Your assistance is essential and while you are not alone and will always have help should you choose to seek it, you are a navigator of the Chiss Ascendancy,” he continued. “You do more for this ship than you can possibly know.” 

Un‘hee just blinked in amazement at him, her mouth hanging open now. She redirected her gaze down to her shuffling feet when she realized she was staring. 

“But if you have anything that would be of even more use to us,” Thrawn pressed gently. ”Anything you wish to tell us-”

 _I am afraid_ , was what she wanted to say. _Afraid of being taken again. Afraid of letting everyone down. Afraid I’ll never know who I truly am again._

“I don’t know what’s coming,” she confessed in a small voice. “But I know something is, and it’s already begun. Now we… wait.”

Eli could see Thrawn struggle with the notion of that. He would wait if he had to, or if it guaranteed the best results, but never because his enemy forced him to do so. “Explain.”

The girl paused for a long moment; long enough to look nervously at Eli and hold his gaze. He gave her an encouraging nod and she breathed in, her small shoulders rising and falling with the motion. “There are enemies aboard your ship, commander,” she said quietly, as if afraid she’d be overheard. “People you shouldn’t trust. I cannot tell you more.” She lowered her gaze. “I wish I could.” 

Eli could see it in Thrawn‘s face. He’d been so close to knowledge, to a possible answer. It was like watching grains of sand slip through his clenched fist. The human held his breath in anticipation while he waited for him to respond. The silence grew; so he stepped tentatively toward the other two. The sound of his boot scraping against the durasteel was enough to bring Thrawn back. 

“Thank you, Un’hee,” he said softly. “For your insight and honesty.”

In a strange, but also seemingly natural display of effortless comfort, he placed one large hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small, relieved smile as the imaginary weight she’d been carrying visibly lessened, just a little.

He lowered his hand. “Is there anything else you wish to share?”

She shook her head.

“Then you are dismissed, Navigator Un’hee,” he said with a kindhearted smile.

She made to leave and Thrawn rose from his crouched position. He shot a questioning look to Eli, asking if he had anything to add before she left. Eli grinned to acknowledge he didn’t, but Thrawn spun around quickly. “Navigator?”

Un’hee stopped and turned to face him, feet from the exit. For a moment her young features appeared worried, as if she thought he’d changed his mind about being upset with her. But the tension in her shoulders diminished after she glimpsed the warm expression on Thrawn’s face. 

His voice was gentle when he spoke to her. “Know that to be afraid is to be wise, for we enter into the Chaos where the unknown is the only known. But you are more than your fear, navigator, for it is the obstacle by which bravery is tested.” He inclined his head toward her. “You serve the Ascendancy well. May your heart find solace in that.” 

Un’hee’s mouth remained open as she turned her dumbfounded gaze upon Eli. The human winked at her and her young face lit up in a wide grin, her eyes dancing. 

“Yes, sir,” she said to Thrawn, raising herself up tall. 

Eli glanced at Thrawn. He hadn’t revealed more than necessary from his conversation with the sky-walker from the day before, so how had Thrawn known? Eli grinned; leave it to Thrawn and his uncanny intuition to pick up the subtle nuisances of a child’s unspoken fear. 

Un’hee was practically bouncing on her toes now. “Permission to speak freely?”

Thrawn’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Of course.”

Un’hee’s eyes remained glittering when she said, “I think the two of you make handsome husbands.”

Eli tried to hide his widest grin by lowering his chin to his chest. He snuck a glimpse of Thrawn, who also had a smile spreading across his thin lips. “Thank you, Un’hee. That is kind of you to say.”

“You’re welcome,” the girl said cheerfully. 

Thrawn watched as Eli stepped forward and lowered himself to one knee before the young girl. The human whispered something Thrawn couldn’t decipher and the carefree curve of the girl’s lips straightened to a line, her face becoming too solemn and serious for a ten-year-old girl. She nodded and muttered a response, suddenly seeming to radiate purpose. Eli rose as she left, leaving the two men in silence. 

“Is there anything you cannot do, commander?” Thrawn asked as he returned to the desk. The sound of the door’s locking mechanism caused him to pause, and straighten. In the past, Eli’s cheeks might have flushed at the praise in Thrawn’s words, but not anymore. Now there was something different in those brown eyes. 

“You are well aware of my capabilities, Commander Thrawn,” Eli said, striding over. “As well as my more… innovative talents.”

Thrawn grinned in understanding. “How long until we are needed on duty?” 

Eli gave him a skeptical look. “Being senior command, aren’t we _always_ on duty?”

Thrawn reached to take his hand. “I am confident the _K’tici_ can travel through hyperspace without members of her senior staff present on the bridge.” 

Eli slid a hand around the back of Thrawn’s neck as soft, perfectly styled blue-black hair wove between his fingers. “Well, you’re rarely wrong. Besides, we need to christen your ship,” he added in a sultry voice. 

Thrawn smirked, his eyes glittering. He fully intended to take Eli on _every single_ surface of this ship… eventually. His smirk faded. 

“What did you tell her?” Thrawn asked. “Un’hee. Before she left.”

Eli’s eyes didn’t quite meet Thrawn’s curious gaze. “Just a secret… between her and I.”

A corner of Thrawn’s mouth curved upward, accompanied by a minute nod. There were some things Eli wasn’t going to share with him, and he was beginning to accept that fact with ease. “Un’hee is wise to place her trust in you.”

The human shrugged casually, ducking his head. “It’s not really a secret. I just asked her to keep those types of comments between us. Just… in case.” 

The Chiss drank in the sight of his human, his heart filling with an abundance of respect and gratitude. It was public knowledge that the two of them had been bonded, but Eli would do his best to ensure a smooth transition for the entire crew. Thrawn muttered his thanks and dipped his head to plant a soft kiss to warm lips. 

“I want to show you something,” Thrawn said, suppressing the desire that kissing Eli always sparked to life. It had been a long time coming, but the moment was finally upon them.

Eli narrowed his eyes, retreating in light-hearted confusion. “You said that far too seriously to be meant as foreplay.”

The slightest upturn of Thrawn’s lips allowed Eli a sliver of hope before he realized that Thrawn was not joking. His wish for an office quickie was dashed. 

“Follow me,” Thrawn said, before glancing at Eli's insignia plaque and adding ruefully, “please.” 

Eli let his hand fall from the nape of Thrawn’s neck and stood straighter. “Alright,” he said. “What is it you have to show me?”

Thrawn released a heavy sigh. “My project.”

  
  
  


Thrass dodged the picketers marching outside the Aristocra building as he strode up the marble steps. They’d been out here for the last two days since the general public had been informed of the CDF’s deployment. The cause of that deployment was irrelevant, of course. The Chiss avoided any entanglements of which they were not directly affected; that was just their way. It kept the masses feeling safe and protected, knowing that patrols and the monitoring of their own worlds and borders were top priority. Which in turn kept them from rioting. Unfortunately, news of the deployment was not the only information that had been leaked. At this point, almost everyone in the Ascendancy had heard the name of who had been secretly restored to a command position in the middle of the night. 

“Pretending this has nothing to do with you?” Brierly Ronan sneered, holding a sign of his own but standing off to the side from the main group.

“On the contrary,” Thrass said in his best diplomatic tone and biting back his groan at running into the other man. “I acknowledge that it does, which is why I’m currently on my way to discuss the situation with the Aristocra.”

Ronan smirked. “You must think that since your brother was absolved of all war crimes-” 

“Ronan,” Thrass stopped him. “There is no one I’d take greater pleasure in bashing than my deranged brother, believe me, but I really must be going.”

“This is not over,” Ronan called after him. “If he makes it back, everyone responsible-”

Thrass did not stop walking. “You mean _when_ he comes back a hero of the Ascendancy?” He shot over his shoulder. 

Ronan just stood there, fuming. 

Thrass backed into the building, flashing the human his best smile as he did so. “Good day.”

Ronan’s reply was cut off by the closing glass door, but Thrass deduced from the angry expression and rude hand gesture that the human had taken offense to that. 

The Chiss Central Edifice was bustling with syndics, aides, speakers and aristocra. It’s activity had increased tenfold since they’d learned their forces had been sent to presumably seek out an altercation with the Grysks. Which wasn’t the case at all, as Thrass had tried to assure anyone who would listen. The _fleet_ wasn’t searching out their would-be enemy, _Thrawn_ was. Thrass had kept that last bit to himself, though. In truth, he knew very little of what Thrawn was up to but his brother had made an oddly grim comment about hoping to run into their enemy while on patrol before he and Eli had departed. 

Since then Thrass had attended meeting after meeting and each session had been riddled with the same political drama and familial infighting; who was better suited for this and who had the best resources for that... it was the Outbound Flight issue all over again, the one he’d barely escaped from with his life, but was now very much alive and well.

As redundant as it all was, there was one interesting detail that had been gleaned from the last two days: the missing Aristocra. A handful of their leaders had sent aides and speakers to the official gatherings in lieu of their own physical presence. Not that Thrass minded. In fact, he’d been focused on something else, but his attempts at catching Nemma’s eye from across the way went unnoticed. 

But that was yesterday. Tonight, they had a date. He was debating where he wanted to take her as he stepped out of the lift and strode down the hall.

“That’s what’s wrong with the Ascendancy though, isn’t it?” he heard a snide voice saying.

Turning the corner, he saw a young man surrounded by three others with his back pressed against the wall. The exchange did not appear cordial. 

“There are no trustworthy people anymore,” another one of the three said darkly. “Not even among our own families.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the lone one bit out. He didn’t seem fearful, but no doubt he understood this would be a fight he couldn’t win if things turned ugly. He wore a yellow-gold jacket and went by the name of Ba’kal. Thrass recognized him as the young man who manned the front desk on his own office floor. 

Ba’kal’s hand clenched in a fist as one of the others took a threatening step closer. “Then explain your midnight messages to Naporar.”

The boy laughed, although unconvincingly. “As usual, you’ve got it all wrong-”

“Then convince us otherwise, before-”

“What’s going on here?” Thrass interjected, striding swiftly over to the group. 

The three young men eyed him for a tense moment. One of them opened his mouth to presumably question why he was inserting himself into matters that didn’t concern him. He raised his eyebrows, half hoping they’d challenge him, but the young man’s mouth closed as he thought twice about questioning a syndic. The group backed away from Ba’kal, muttered some half-assed apology and strode off. 

Thrass was left alone with the younger man, who stood silently watching the others disappear down the hall. Thrass had seen him around for years, but over the course of that time had only spoken to him maybe three times. The boy had always come off cold and kinda snobby, even for a Chaf. 

“Are you alright?” Thrass ventured. 

Ba’kal scoffed. “Do I look like I’m not?” 

Thrass snorted. Apparently he hadn’t changed much. 

“Listen, I don’t need your help,” Ba’kal continued. His eyes scanned Thrass’s burgundy attire. “In fact, all you did was make it worse.” 

He stormed off and Thrass stood there, shaking his head. He couldn’t help but wonder if the young man’s deflection was mostly bravado. 

Thrass entered Aristocra Mitth’eo’dore’s grand office, complete with a sparkling chandelier and breathtaking view of the glacier landscape out the window that spanned two full sides of the office. “I swear,” he muttered, closing the door behind him. “At the rate we’re going, the turmoil within the Aristocra will be worse than on the battlefields.” 

“Greetings, syndic,” Theod said, standing from his chair and meeting him in the center of the room. “I assume it goes without saying which of those is worse.”

“Of course,” Thrass muttered. 

“Not all battles are fought with spectrum lasers and charrics, you know,” Theod continued, moving to the sitting area. “But they can all be deadly.”

Thrass agreed with him. Political ruin was just as bad as failure out in the depths of the Chaos. One could end your career, and the other your life. But in the Ascendancy, what with family legacies, they might as well be the same. The older man met Thrass’s gaze with a kind smile. “You wanted to speak with me, syndic?” 

“Yes,” Thrass answered, lowering himself to sit beside the Aristocra and dropping his voice even though no one else was present. “I came to ask-”

The older man leaned in close to him, a knowing sparkle in his eye. “You’re worried we’ll be found out?” 

Thrass stared at the man for a moment before a grin slowly spread across his face. “More or less.” 

“Well, let me put your mind at ease, young man,” Theod said with a sardonic curve of his lips. “I am certain of it.”

Thrass snorted and leaned back against the couch. “Thanks for the reassurance.”

Theod sighed heavily. “I am merely being honest. Once they get a hold of all our signatures, there will be no doubt of who to blame.”

And then the attacks will come, Thrass thought, and although Eli swore there would be minimal retaliation, being thrown in jail would almost be a mercy. 

Thrass’s attention was drawn back to the older man when he huffed out a laugh, regarding his questis for a brief moment. “It appears some of the Aristocra have determined now to be an opportune time for a vacation.”

Thrass frowned. “Is that the official word? Vacation?” He looked over at the other man with raised eyebrows. “Don’t tell me you’re disappointed you weren’t invited.”

Theod laughed, low and deep. “Of course not. Spending even more time with political miscreants like myself…” he paused and shook his head in disapproval. “No, I think not.”

Thrass grinned. Theod may have bent the rules for his brother, but at least he’d done so for the good of the Ascendancy. There were far worse things he could’ve used his influence for than the joining of two of the most deserving beings Thrass knew. 

That made him think of Nemma. “Well, Aristocra. I must be going. Lots to do before the days end. I will be waiting with bated breath for the inevitable blow up.”

“As will I,” Theod said softly. “Let us remain strong and united when that time comes.” 

“We have allies,” Thrass said as he headed for the double doors. “I’d even wager some of them will come as a surprise.”

“I hope you are correct,” the Aristocra said as he made to stand. “Warriors fortune, Mitth’ras’safis.”

The younger man inclined his head toward his elder before exiting the office. Thrass was not a warrior. He was a politician. Yet he realized with growing dread that those distinctions might quickly become inconsequential. They were all Chiss, and soon - if they intended to survive - they would all have to become warriors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Thrawn has a plan.


	12. The Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn has a plan. 
> 
> Song: His Dark Materials Theme - Lorne Balfe, Baltic House Orchestra (This just sounds very Chissy to me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Un’hee and our boys had a chat. Thrass began to see the break down in the Ascendancy’s peace.
> 
> Ngl, this chapter has been mostly written since April. X”D Lots had to happen before this and lots to come after!

  
The way was dark and eerie, in chilling contrast to the rest of the pristine ship, giving Eli the sense that they weren’t supposed to be here. But they walked on in silence, Eli one step behind Thrawn, reminiscent of old times. The old times had come and gone of course, their new reality calling for the alignment of allegiance and intent. 

The turbo lift carried them down past the warriors barracks, kitchens, engineering, and farther still. Eli glanced at Thrawn. Where were they going? Sanitation? 

The lift doors opened with a hiss and they strode the length of the deserted corridor, their soft footsteps the only sound. Eli had known Thrawn had kept something from him for quite some time, but instead of being angry about that, he opted for curiosity. For now. It had taken a great deal of effort for him not to press Thrawn for details as they made their way through the bowels of the ship. He would find out soon enough. 

Turning a corner, he spotted four moving shadows at the far end of the corridor. Squinting, he recognized the black blurs to be soldiers. When the warriors caught sight of them, they moved as a single entity to raise their weapons in unison. Eli’s footsteps faltered.

“Halt,” one of them called out. “You are entering a restricted-”

“It is I, Lieutenant,” Thrawn said calmly, keeping on. 

Eli felt his racing heart slow a bit when they lowered the weapons to their sides. The guards' eyes scanned Eli as they approached, sizing him up and taking in his very human nature. 

“No one is allowed down here,” some one of them said. 

“It was I who placed that restriction, junior commander. Thank you, but I do not need reminding,” Thrawn said with an odd sort of understanding. Eli gathered that Thrawn trusted these men. “This is my bond-mate, Commander Eli’van’to.”

Three of the guards saluted the human. He nodded at them in acknowledgment. Surely they had heard of the only non-Chiss aboard their ship, even if they weren’t aware of his significance before this. He spared a quick glance at Thrawn, somewhat surprised that he’d openly divulged that bit of information to these men, especially since one of them was still eyeing him as if they thought he might have forced Thrawn to bring him down here. That highly unlikely thought sent a trickle of humor through Eli and he bit back a grin. 

“Let us pass,” Thrawn told the soldiers.

They stepped aside, none of them daring to challenge Thrawn any further. 

Eli followed him through the hatch, stepping into a long, dimly lit room. No, not room. _Factory._ He could hardly see the other end of it. Their light source came from gas lamps spaced evenly along the walls, and the glow of hundreds of large glass canisters containing an off-white, opaque liquid. Eli took in his surroundings as best he could in the minimal lighting, gleaning what he could for himself before referring to Thrawn.

Atop each glass container was another smaller canister, solid and metal, and attached to the cylinders below by a variety of colored tubes and wires. The air smelled of chemicals, definitely, but it also smelled creamy, almost sweet. Elongated shadows stretched hauntingly across the floor, making Eli’s skin crawl. If he hadn’t been invited down here he’d easily conclude that this was not a place to go snooping about. It reminded him of something out of his nightmares, the dank laboratory of a mad scientist. He turned to Thrawn. 

“Your project, I presume?”

Thrawn straightened from where he crouched before a gauge and met his gaze squarely. “Perhaps you are upset with me for keeping it from you, and you have every right to be.” 

Eli bit back a sigh. Right now, he just wanted answers. He tilted his head toward the top of the nearest tank. “What is it?”

“A way to defeat the Grysks,” Thrawn said quietly, also gazing upward.

Eli’s head whipped around. “Excuse me?”

The corner of Thrawn mouth lifted slightly as he recalled. “Do you remember when I stored containers of milk aboard the shuttle hauling my brother and-”

“When you first came back,” Eli said, nodding. “Yes, I remember. Don’t tell me-” The human turned back to strangely eye the liquid inside the glass. 

Thrawn straightened. “I vaporized it; formulated a poisonous gas that will put an end to the Grysk threat.” 

Eli just blinked in astonishment as Thrawn began circling each canister, reading the gauges and making an adjustment here and there. 

“We made it far more potent as a vapor,” Thrawn said softly, kneeling down, the glow from the milky substance blanketing his features in a lighter tint. 

Eli leaned down to examine the meter on the side of container. His eyebrows raised in surprise. With that level of potency, a few particles could kill a Grysk, easy. He followed Thrawn in and out of the rows of the many canisters. 

“So what are you proposing?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning casually against the cool surface of the tank. “Mass genocide?”

“It will hardly come to that,” Thrawn hedged, avoiding his gaze. “They will recognize us as a much greater threat than they currently perceive us to be, in turn persuading them to steer clear of our worlds.”

Eli noted his use of the word “persuading.” He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. 

“But if it does come to that…” Thrawn paused, his voice going cold. “They would not hesitate to do the same.”

Eli looked thoughtful. “If it’s our worlds they’re after, this _might_ deter them. But if they still want the navigators — they’re on every ship that leaves Chiss space, every Chiss ship in the Chaos, military or civilian.” 

“I believe the Grysks are a resourceful species,” Thrawn muttered. Eli frowned, taken aback. “They will choose more legal routes such as the Navigators’ Guild to guide them through the Chaos rather than steal our young.”

Eli hummed, a sardonic grin twitching at the corner of his lips. “So what are you really hoping will happen?” A humorous glint shown in his eye. “You’ll scare them away?”

“Precisely.” Thrawn said softly, eyes glittering. “I intend to provide… a warning.” The Chiss turned glowing eyes on him. “Would the destruction of your species not persuade you?”

Eli thought back to Vah’nya and Un’hee and everything he knew about the Grysks. He stood in contemplation for a handful of seconds. “I am human,” he finally said quietly. “You are Chiss. Our cultures acknowledge and value the preservation of life. The Grysks don’t.”

Eli wasn’t wrong, Thrawn considered. The Grysks were willing to send their clients and even their own people to die for them and their cause. Thrawn doubted they had a fair legal system, or one at all. But they weren’t foolish. Their threat wouldn’t be as widespread if that was the case. Thrawn gave him a reassuring look. “It will work, Eli.” He paused. “But if fear tactics prove ineffective...”

Again, he let the comment hang. So Thrawn was willing to dispose of an entire species to save his? Eli sighed. 

“So,” the human started, tapping the glass with a single finger and following a bubble up to the surface with his eyes. “Did you get your math right?”

Thrawn gave him what passed for a look of exasperation. Eli just chuckled. It faded quicker than usual and he took a step closer to his side. “Thrawn, I’m not one to brag but… you know I’m good at this sort of thing; running numbers, data analysis, puzzles… I could have helped you. Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Thrawn just gazed at him almost guiltily, then murmured softly. “It is the responsibility of a partner to protect-”

“No,” Eli said with determination and a shake of his head. “That’s not what I want to hear right now. Tell me why you lied to me for almost a year. Why you snuck around behind my back-”

“You are good at puzzles, Eli,” Thrawn reminded him. “You tell me.”

Eli scowled. Yeah, he was good at puzzles. But riddling out whatever madness Thrawn had concocted was a different story entirely. He took a moment to recall what Thrawn had said, taking into account what his goals were and what they’d always been. 

“Let me guess,” Eli said, sighing heavily when it came to him. “Plausible deniability.” 

Thrawn grinned, not surprised at all. “Yes.”

“Hmm,” Eli huffed, deadpan. 

“Would you have preferred I put you at risk?”

Thrawn didn’t deserve an answer to that question, and it took everything in Eli not to respond with sarcasm.

“No, I would not prefer that,” he replied. “I would, however, prefer my husband to tell me the truth about secret projects that he’s spending thousands of credits on.”

“It is for the Ascendancy,” Thrawn argued. “It is not frivolous spending such as evenings drinking with my brother-” 

“Okay,” Eli rolled his eyes. “That’s completely different.”

“Gentlemen,” a Chiss donned in a red jumpsuit said as he strode over and interrupted their conversation. Eli’s eyes grew wide when he realized who it was. And then instantly narrowed. Sorin turned to greet Eli, “Good day, Comm-“

“Don’t…” The human stopped him, now rounding on Thrawn's accomplice. “I’ve seen you countless times over the past year and you couldn’t be bothered to tell me what was going on?”

Sorin clasped his hands behind his back as all over-confident Chiss did, before turning a confused gaze to Thrawn. “Are humans privy to the term plausible-”

Eli just spun and stalked away. Thrawn closed his eyes for a breath. When he reopened them, Sorin was watching him.

“You really should have told him,” Sorin muttered. 

“I know,” Thrawn said shortly. He quickly changed the subject. “How many containers do we have?”

“Enough.”

The commander did not steer his gaze away, instead fixing Sorin with a hard look full of expectation.

The science officer relented. “428.”

Thrawn looked out at the expanse of cylinders with worry in his eyes. He spoke softly. “That is not enough.”

“It will do for now.”

Thrawn took a deep breath. “Your optimism never ceases to amaze me, my friend.” He placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “Thank you, for all you have done.”

“Don’t thank me until it’s over,” the man replied with a grin.

Thrawn returned it before scanning the area, searching. 

“I will leave you to it,” Sorin muttered, realizing that perhaps he didn’t want to be around for the impending conversation. 

Thrawn nodded once to him and moved to join Eli, who was now pacing angrily between a line of vapor canisters. 

“Plausible deniability only works if I don’t know, Thrawn,” Eli said when he caught sight of him. “I know now so… whatever you’re planning… I hope it works.”

“It will.”

Eli didn’t want to ask how he knew. He pressed on, his voice no less rigid. “If there’s something else you’d like to tell me — no, if there’s anything you’re _keeping_ from me… anything at all. _Tell me now.”_

Eli stared hard at him. He saw it in Thrawn’s cryptic gaze; saw him think about withholding something, and then decide against it. There was no refuting the human at this point. 

“I built fighters,” Thrawn admitted, quickly spinning around and striding down the narrow center path between the canisters.

Eli blinked, his brows dipping in a brief frown, and hurried to catch up. “You - what? Fighters? As in… ships?”

“Correct,” Thrawn said as they continued on, past rows and rows of vapor filled tanks. 

“Wha - how?” Eli stuttered, tripping over a wide cord that lay strewn across the floor as he tried to keep pace with Thrawn’s longer legs. How was this possible? Thrawn didn’t have the resources to create fighter crafts. He didn’t have the time, the space, the equipment, and he sure as hell didn’t have permission. 

Then it dawned on him. He stopped and spoke his husband’s name. He didn’t yell, despite his initial anger bubbling just under the surface. He said it calm and cool, like a strong statement. 

Thrawn froze and turned to face him, and for the briefest of moments his usually impassive expression didn’t appear at all controlled. But then the anxiety evaporated from his face and Eli closed the distance between them. Before he had a second to speak, Thrawn spun around again and stepped through a hatch at the back of the hall. Eli glanced back over his shoulder, at the hundreds of liquid filled tanks and small metal vapor canisters directly above them. He groaned and followed Thrawn through the hatch. 

Into yet another massive room. This one was twice as tall as it was long. Also dimly lit but not as muggy, or as sticky as the one prior. Here the air was crisp and cool, alluding to a better filtration system or maybe even access to fresh air. The second option seemed more probable as Eli stepped forward, his jaw dropping. He numbly walked past Thrawn to lay a hand on cool, sleek durasteel. 

“I studied the ship,” he whispered in awe, running his palm along the vessel’s smooth wing. “There was no fifth hangar.”

Thrawn did not answer. Instead, he held out his questis. 

Eli began swiping with two fingers as he scrolled through blueprints and data sheets and vapor algorithms and building records and finance transfers and trip expenses and dates and messages and...

“It is all there.”

Eli looked up, into oddly subdued red eyes. He’d lied to him. He’d kept things from him. But Eli had done the same, and Thrawn was telling him now. 

“Defender tech,” Eli voiced his earlier assumption, gawking over his shoulder at the twelve magnificent fighters, the best of Chiss and Imperial industrial elements welded together to produce a ship that Eli was sure no one had ever seen the likes of before. He turned back to Thrawn. “And they’re shielded.” 

Thrawn nodded.

“What about the hyperdrives?” 

Thrawn shook his head. “Impractical. The space that would allow for a hyperdrive will be replaced with a vapor canister.”

Eli let out a small puff of air. “Excellent.” He looked back over his shoulder at the vehicles that could change everything. 

Thrawn spoke softly. “I need your help, Eli.”

Eli started and turned to frown up at him. _Now_ he needed his help? 

The Chiss was watching him intently. “We do not have enough vapor to defeat the Grysks.”

“What do you want me to do?” Eli asked, trying to ignore the bubble of irritation in his belly. If Thrawn had just told him earlier…

Thrawn smiled at him and the sharpness of that irritation dulled, a little. “Run data, of course. I am looking to broaden the reach of the vapor, while still maintaining its potency and effectiveness. Whatever we are headed into, I am certain it will not be the only encounter.”

Human eyes narrowed. “Whatever we’re headed into? Thrawn, this is a reconnaissance mission.”

“Of course it is,” Thrawn said simply. “That does not mean there will not be danger.” The Chiss paused, gazing at Eli with fresh intensity. “There is no one I trust more to run these numbers.” 

“Thrawn, wha-” Eli stuttered, staring dumbfounded at the questis in his hand and flipping frantically through page after page of data he’d never seen before and Thrawn just expected him to —

“Thrawn, this is-”

“Your speciality.”

Eli started. Thrawn's belief in him was, as it had always been, incomparable. The Chiss gave him a small, confident nod and Eli lowered his eyes to stare at the list of numbers on the device. “Is there anything else I don’t know?” he said with a sigh of resignation. 

“Regarding this mission? There is nothing.” He turned to inspect one of the fighters, his voice muffling as he circled around to the other side. “And you?”

He strode around the back end of the ship and met Eli’s confused look with an expectant one. “Is there anything you are keeping from me?”

Eli’s first reaction was to say no, that he never would. But he had. For one, he hadn’t told Thrawn about the loophole he’d found in the Ascendancy’s laws until he’d found a situation in which to use it. Secondly...

“There is something,” he told him honestly. “It’s about the sky-walkers.”

Thrawn straightened, his interest peaked, but before the Chiss got ahead of himself Eli added, “But I can’t tell you. Not yet. There are still things I don’t even understand. Just know I will tell you when-”

“It is alright, Eli.” 

His voice held a kind of comforting reassurance mirrored in the softness of his eyes and the gentle curve of his lips, and Eli could see that he meant it. 

And so they left it at that. 

Thrawn led him from the hangar and Eli followed, his head once again shoved in a data reader. A small chuckle behind Thrawn caused him to glance back once, and then twice.

“What is it?” Thrawn asked, unable to keep the amusement out of this own voice.

Eli snorted. “I just… you mean to tell me, this whole time you’ve been resource liaison you’ve been building new fighters and conducting science experiments?”

Thrawn just chuckled, leading them up a flight of only three steps to a platform where Sorin and a handful of other red-jumpsuited-Chiss awaited them. 

“He had help,” Sorin insisted, overhearing their conversation. 

“You might want to keep that to yourself,” Eli said with a good-natured grin. “So, what’s the plan for administering this lethal lactose?” 

Thrawn raised his eyebrows at Eli’s coined term, but leaned over and swiped right on Eli’s questis. The human brought the device closer to his face as he worked out the strategy. 

“Seems extreme,” he muttered.

“At the cost of determining if it works,” Sorin put in. “Not at all.” The Chiss glanced at Thrawn. “It’ll be just like last time.” 

Eli started, looking curiously up at Thrawn. “You’ve done this before?”

Thrawn lifted a shoulder in a small, humble shrug. “Not exactly.”

A story for another time, Eli thought as his eyes flicked back and forth between Thrawn and Sorin. The workers filed down the stairs at Sorin’s beckoning and Eli and Thrawn were left alone. The Chiss moved to leave the lab after he shot a fleeting grin at Eli. 

The human found himself growing more anxious, unsure if any of this would work. But he knew Thrawn, and he trusted him. He’d always been the mastermind behind all their plans, whereas Eli was the data checker, making sure that those plans were actually possible. He knew their strengths complimented each other perfectly, oftentimes their minds synced wordlessly. Their cohesiveness remained an enigma to humans and Chiss alike. But it worked, somehow. And now, Eli felt a great pressure on them to be successful. After all, the outcome might mean the difference between ‘rogue’ or ‘hero.’

“Thrawn,” Eli called. The Chiss turned back with a polite expression on his face. Eli sighed before he spoke, concern evident in every line of his face, every tight facial muscle. He was gratified that Thrawn trusted him, but with the knowledge of that trust came the pressure of living up to that expectation. But they were in this together. He just needed to hear that from Thrawn. “I know this is still new. Us, I mean. We’ve spent over a decade being… separated, by one thing or another. Now we’re in the same galaxy, with the same rank, on the same ship, finally unified in more ways than one. Thrawn...” he took a breath. “Tell me this will work. Tell me… that we can do this.” 

Thrawn stepped forward and took his hand, warm and strong in his. He smiled. “I believe we can do anything, commander,” Thrawn told him softly. “Don’t you?”

A relieved grin spread across Eli’s face, the faintest of warm glows appearing on his cheeks. He nodded.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Life aboard the _K’tici_ gets a little more interesting.


	13. The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting... interesting.
> 
> Song: Unleashed - Thomas Bergersen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Thrawn told Eli about the project he’s been working on.

Vah’nya strolled casually past the many classroom doors pressed into the rock walls, only identifiable by the small rectangle window that shown at the top. It was always dark in these caves and she recalled being extremely on edge when she walked them as a young girl, jumping at every sound and shadow. Now she found them rather comforting, soothing, and peaceful. 

“Hey, give it back!” 

“You had your turn,” another girl snapped, her attention now drawn to the game on the questis. 

“I haven’t beat that level yet!” 

“I’ll do it for you,” the older one replied casually. 

“No fair!” 

The two girls ran past, ignoring her completely. A few seconds later, a loud slam signified their departure from the corridor. 

She sighed.

Life among young girls was… chaotic. It was a true blessing to watch them grow and thrive, each in their own way, but it was much more of a challenge than she’d originally accounted for. Mainly because she was also still learning; learning about the girls’ abilities, learning more about her own abilities, and taking the precarious steps from supportive big sister to the role of a leader. 

Her and Ar’alani had discussed her future at length before she had departed from the _Steadfast._ She chose, unlike so many of her sister navigators, to remain part of the CEDF. Ar’alani had then tasked her with the girls’ training regimen after seeing what the human commander’s research had gleaned. She was mostly alone in doing so, which made things incredibly difficult. She had Eli, when he was around, and a few loyal contacts on Csilla, but Naporar was lonely. 

So she’d been ecstatic when the admiral herself had visited before the Fleets deployment. They mapped out the necessary coordinates and travel routes, finalized a few minor details, and ensured all involved persons knew the correct cipher. When things took a turn, they would need to move fast. And she was certain it was a matter of when, not if. 

Her throat had tightened when the admiral told her she was proud of her, that the future of the navigators was bright because of her, and Eli too. She had called her a warrior, and as she’d been nothing but a mere navigator her whole life, Vah’nya felt validated by that, and perhaps a tad pleased with herself. 

Her questis chirped and she glanced at the text. 

_Vah’nya,_

_It’s Eli. Kindly respond to this message in a timely manner so that you may explain to me why I saw a 12-year-old girl explode a Csaplar wintermelon in training today. Thank you._

_Your friend,_

_The Confused Human_

Vah’nya chuckled as she walked along the corridors of the compound toward her office, taping a quick response to her friend. She could just hear his carefully controlled drawl seep through his almost perfect Cheunh as he fought his frustration. 

Her device beeped again with his reply. 

_No, it cannot wait. Today, please._

So she entered her office and after making herself a cup of tea, settled in behind her desk for what was sure to be a long conversation. 

“Hello, Eli,” she greeted him once the line connected. 

“How?” he ground out, appearing more upset than she’d expected, his kind eyes holding a hint of agitation. 

“You know how, Eli.”

“No, no this… what I saw… is completely different.”

“Only you saw?”

He stiffened. “Yes, only I saw. They train apart from everyone else. Is gaining access to each other's minds a new thing? And what about exploding objects? I swear, if I have to watch another girl get beamed in the head with a foam brick-”

“They're learning, Eli,” Vah’nya replied calmly. “It’s going to take some time for them to master control.”

“Vah’nya,” he said flatly. “Somnia was meant for _healing.”_

The Chiss woman smirked. “Not anymore.” 

“And you didn’t think to tell me they’ve developed…” he hesitated to say it. “Powers?”

“I didn’t know the extent,” Vah’nya said defensively. “Did you say someone blew up a wintermelon?”

“Yes!” 

“Hmm,” Vah’nya’s expression shifted to thoughtful contemplation. “Interesting. Was she angry?”

“Would it have been worse if she was?” the human asked, eyes wide and voice sharp with concern. Speaking over Vah’nya’s curious babbling he pressed, “Can you please explain what’s going on?”

Vah’nya just shrugged, extending her hands as a sign of resignation. “All I know is that powers manifest differently in all of them. I have one girl who can’t control her cadence now.” She waved her hand as if to indicate. “Runs headlong into walls.”

Eli was rubbing his temples with his index and middle fingers, elbows propped up on his desk. “Seems a little counterproductive to keep me in the dark when I’m supposed to be watching over them, don’t you think?” 

“There was no guarantee they’d even be able to perform such feats so far from the Commemoration Chamber.”

More like, she wanted to test that theory and was also a tad curious of Eli’s reaction. She wasn’t disappointed. 

“And besides,” she continued. “They are more than capable of training on their own, and you’re a commander now. With additional responsibilities I’m sure.”

“Still would have been nice to know,” he grumbled. 

She inclined her head. “I apologize. How is Un’hee?”

The human averted his gaze. Vah’nya knew better than anyone what a loaded question that was. His lips pressed together. 

“She seems… distant.”

“She’s back in space,” Vah’nya reasoned. “Can you blame her? I’m sure she’s still afraid.”

In fact, Vah’nya was positive that was the case. When they had first brought Un’hee to Naporar, the girl had told Vah’nya she never wanted to go back out again. Eventually, after many late night conversations with Vah’nya and months of building a connection with her sisters, she grew to understand her purpose and value, and decided against becoming a 7-year-old recluse.

“But she is stronger than she thinks,” Vah’nya told him. “She just doesn’t know it yet.” 

A glint of humor lit up Eli’s features as something he deemed comical crossed his mind. “I’ve known weaker grown men,” he explained with a smile. 

Vah’nya chuckled, recalling every ambassador and politician she’d ever met. “So have I.”

It was no surprise Un’hee was wary about being back in space. Vah’nya had told Eli once that he didn’t understand what she’d endured during her Grysk capture, but Vah’nya did. The same thought must have struck the human because his expression became grave before he spoke. 

“How bad are they?” he asked in a subdued tone. “The Grysks?”

She sighed heavily. For a long time she chose not to share specific details with Eli, but he was right. He had been tasked with watching over the sky-walkers and it was unfair to withhold information from him any longer. “I only know of Un’hee’s experience. But it seems they…” she hesitated, not because she thought he didn’t deserve to know, but because it pained her to recall. The memories were Un’hee’s, but she felt as though they were hers. “...steal their minds, warp them, use them. Make them fear everything and everyone. They rob them of their childhood and force them to assist in enslaving whole worlds.” She took an unsteady breath. “So you can understand why they might be scared, Eli. Don’t take it personally.”

The human met her gaze with kind, compassionate eyes. She gave him a small smile to lighten the mood. But Eli wasn’t blind. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

She grinned at him. “The more you understand, the better. And while I have you on the line, I’ve been meaning to tell you… do you remember when you suggested I try Somnia-”

Eli’s comm beeped, drawing his attention. “Apologies, my friend. Apparently I’m needed.” He faced her once more. “Perhaps tomorrow we can continue this?”

Vah’nya’s expression held slight disappointment but she conceded. “Of course.” 

With one last friendly smile, they cut the line. Vah’nya remained seated for a long moment, staring at the space her friend had just occupied.

Then she stood, heading out of her office and down the hall to the massive chamber-like remembrance hall. She pressed her palms to the large wooden doors and pushed them open; she could almost hear the voices speaking to her when she entered.

She traced her fingertips lightly over the designs etched into the soft rockwall, disturbing the top layers and revealing the silver sheen that lay beneath. Placing her palm against the wall, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. 

Eli strode confidently through the hatch and onto the bridge. The ship had already begun to feel like home in the short amount of time they’d been aboard. Except that home did not typically have a pair of red eyes, narrowed in thinly veiled disgust, following him as he strode to Thrawn’s side. Human eyes met the bold officer’s gaze with a silent challenge, and the other ducked their head. Something to deal with later, he thought. He reached Thrawn, gazing out at the swirling stars ahead. 

“Commander,” he greeted him.

“Commander.” Thrawn replied smoothly. “Observe, if you will, the reflection in the bulkhead.” 

Eli started. He glanced at the shining metal to his left. Half the bridge was reflected perfectly, as clear as looking into a mirror. 

Thrawn raised his voice and called over his shoulder. “Senior Captain.”

Ferk, who had been patiently waiting a few yards away, stepped promptly forward. Eli casually stepped aside so as to appear uninterested in the conversation. 

“Sir.”

“I would like you to command the overnight crew this evening,” Thrawn requested of his first officer. 

The others eyebrows twitched. “Sir?” he wondered, expression respectful but uncertain.

“Is there a problem, Captain?”

Ferk straightened. “No, sir. It’s just - that is Mid Commander Garek’s shift.”

“Usually.” Thrawn clarified casually. “Now it is yours. I want you on the bridge for when we arrive at our destination and if our calculations are correct, that will be early morning.”

“Y-yes, sir.”

Thrawn turned back to the viewport and in the bulkhead's reflection, Eli caught the slightest hint of anger flash across Ferk’s face, a dark shadow blanketing his features. He blinked and his gaze reverted back to the typical serene, controlled expression of all Chiss warriors.

Thrawn half turned. “I will be in my quarters. Please inform me when we reach the coordinates.”

Ferk’s confusion returned. “Like you said, sir, it will hardly be morning.”

Thrawn turned a pleasant look toward him. “And?”

There seemed to be no underlying fury beneath the surface, but Ferk must have decided a statement from him about sleep regularity would make little difference because he relented. “Nothing, sir.”

Thrawn nodded at Eli. “Please inform Commander Ivant as well.” 

“Of course,” Ferk replied, his eyes flashing in Eli’s direction. Perhaps he wondered why Eli needed a separate wake up call, but he didn’t voice that quarry. 

Thrawn left the viewport and strode to the sensor station. The human waited, unsure if he should follow or not. In the reflection, Ferk turned on his heels and approached a fellow officer at the comm. They spoke urgently with their heads together and an icy chill ran up Eli’s spine. Before he could think much else about that, Ajal appeared before him.

“Commander Ivant.”

Eli jumped. “Ajal. You startled me.”

“Apologies, sir. Do you need anything?”

Eli frowned. Need anything? Was he supposed to need anything? 

“No, thank you Ajal.”

“Very well. Please let me know if something arises.” He moved aside, but only barely and clasped his hands behind his back in an impeccable impression of Thrawn. 

Eli eyed him strangely. “Alright?”

Ajal’s eyes flicked to his multiple times before finally meeting them squarely, suddenly appearing guilty and uncomfortable. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice so only Eli could hear. “Commander Thrawn assigned me as your aide.”

“Oh did he?” Eli questioned, shooting an exasperated look to Thrawn that went completely unnoticed. Eli didn’t ever recall asking for an aide, nor did he think he needed one. 

The human quickly patted his shoulder before saying, “I’ll let you know if there’s anything.”

“Please do, sir.” 

Thrawn met his gaze from across the room and gestured. Eli gave a curt nod. “Excuse me, Ajal.”

“Thank you for my _aide,”_ Eli acknowledged once they’d stepped out into the busy corridor. 

“You are welcome,” Thrawn answered, either missing his sarcasm entirely or choosing not to comment on it. His voice lowered to avoid any eavesdroppers. “Did you notice anything during mine and the captain’s interaction?”

Eli snorted. “Yeah. He was angry. Perhaps it was just that you asked him to switch shifts-”

“It was something else.”

“-but I think it was something else.” 

Thrawn gave him a small smile and Eli chuckled. 

“I’m assuming you have a hunch as to how to handle the situation?” Eli asked as they rounded a corner. 

“Somewhat. My quarters, commander, if you will,” Thrawn said briskly. The Chiss threw a sidelong glance at him, the corner of his mouth tilting upward. “I want to ensure we arrive on the bridge at the same time.”

“Of course,” Eli said with a small nod. “I know it doesn’t affect _you_ , but I will need sleep.”

Thrawn chuckled. “And I will let you.”

Eli cocked his head to one side. “You told him to send for me, yet I’ll be with you. You don’t trust him.”

“Of course I don’t.” Thrawn muttered, gaze forward and severe. “Which is why I want him exactly where I know he will be, and why we will arrive on the bridge together,” he paused to key the entry panel to his quarters and allowed Eli to step in first, “thirty minutes early.” 

Eli stirred in his sleep, pressing his head further into the pillow with a soft groan, when Thrawn retracted his arm from around his husband’s bare waist. It was calming to have Eli here with him. He preferred to keep him in close proximity, knowing that separation could be problematic if not deadly, judging by the underlying turbulence he was sensing from some of his own warriors. The Chiss rolled over onto his back, squinting at the blinking light on his comm display. After planting a quick kiss to Eli’s shoulder before tugging the covers up higher to keep him warm, he sat up and leaned forward to see who the message was from. 

Groaning, he padded quietly to his main living area, chose a seat near a comm console, and typed in the appropriate frequency. 

“Good morning, brother,” came the syndic’s smooth greeting. 

Thrass appeared before him, lounging in his favorite chair at home and clad in his plush burgundy robe. It was morning then on Csilla, although surely not as early there as it was for Thrawn. 

“Morning,” he grumbled his reply. “You said you had news?”

“Gossip, really,” the elder brother admitted, leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of tea. 

“You woke me for gossip?” 

Thrass’s eyebrows rose. “Are you surprised?”

He then proceeded to tell Thrawn all about the drama their deployment had stirred up in the Aristocra, how Ronan was absolutely certain that anything Thrawn did would bring disgrace to the whole Chiss species, and about the chummy Aristocra who had conveniently decided to be absent from the chaos. 

“Hmm,” Thrawn hummed with a frown after hearing that last bit of news. “Have they been in contact with the Ascendancy?”

Thrass shrugged and made a disgruntled face. “I don’t keep tabs on them, Thrawn. How should I know?”

Quiet footsteps made their way from down the hall closer to Thrawn. He didn’t need to glance over his shoulder to know they weren’t alone any longer.

“Hi, Thrass.” Eli said sleepily as he lowered himself into a chair beside Thrawn. 

Thrass responded with a sigh and a friendly grin. “Hello, human.”

Thrawn regarded his brother. He was made up of mostly sass and attitude, held together with an ounce or two of grace and polite aura, but Thrawn could see that he was exhausted. Negotiations in the Aristocra must be more taxing for him than he let on. 

The conversation turned lighthearted when Eli asked about Nemma and after a pleasant and comfortable discussion that seemed oddly out of place given the tension they all felt but chose to ignore, Thrass concluded, “Well, Thrawn… this is your first command back in action, don’t do anything stupid.”

Thrawn rolled his eyes.

“And Eli… take care of yourself,” Thrass added affectionately to his brother-in-law. “I would like for you _both_ to return safely, but if I had to choose-”

Eli just laughed, knowing where he was going. “I will.”

Thrass then met Thrawn’s gaze, full of rare affection and worriment for his younger sibling. “Goodbye, brother.”

“Goodbye, Thrass.”

After the transmission ended, Eli casually reclined in his chair and clasped his hands over his stomach. “He looks tired.”

Thrawn agreed with a silent nod. 

“He’ll be alright, Thrawn,” Eli reassured him, placing a warm hand on his thigh and rubbing his thumb in gentle circles. “He’s smart, and dare I say a good politician. Csilla’s in good hands.”

“Thank you, Eli,” Thrawn responded automatically, knowing it would be unproductive and perhaps a little dangerous to delve into his concerns at this time. He glanced at the chrono, drawing Eli’s attention there too. 

“We should get going,” the human suggested. 

Thrawn nodded and rose from his seat. Before following Eli, he allowed himself a brief moment to ponder: what was happening to his home?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek ~ Things are going to pick up soon! I will try to leave warnings when necessary. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Next time: Something unexpected. Or maybe not.
> 
> P.s. Thanks to all y’all for not mentioning that two of my Chaf names don’t start with ‘F.’ *face palm* Apparently I just gave up on Chiss names. X”D


	14. The Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a traitor aboard the _K’tici._
> 
> Song: The Untold - Secession Studios

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Since the rest of this is a battle and its aftermath, consider this a blanket warning for violence and a few deaths. I’m not entirely sure how to categorize the losses, but none of them are Thrawn or Eli so I just tagged them as ‘minor character.’  
> I also want to mention again that there might be a few small hints to CR. I don’t want to end up spoiling that for anyone, regardless of how small those hints may be. : ) 
> 
> Last time: Eli learned more about the sky-walkers.

  


“Commanders,” Ferk bristled when Thrawn and Eli stepped onto the bridge together, much sooner than the senior captain had expected. “Is something wrong?”

The corridors had been all but deserted for the duration of their trek, aside from the occasional maintenance worker. The overhead lights were at half power, not haunting like the lower levels, but tranquil and serene. Eli’s eyes had lingered on the sky-walker’s door as they passed by. The status light glowed red, indicating that the girls were asleep inside, safe and sound. Eli was surprised to find Ajal waiting for them just outside the hatch. 

To say Ferk was unhappy at their early appearance was not inaccurate. He tried to hide his irritation, but the straight line of his lips gave away his displeasure. 

“Not at all, senior captain,” Thrawn assured him politely. “When is our estimated arrival time?”

“Twenty-seven minutes, sir.”

Thrawn inclined his head and the conversation was over. Ferk eyed him for a moment longer before positioning himself at the weapons station where he’d be able to keep both Thrawn and Eli in sight. If he found their arrival insulting, he kept it to himself.

The next twenty minutes or so passed in mostly silence. To Eli’s surprise, Sorin strode through the hatch ten minutes later. He’d traded out his red workers jumpsuit for the black of an officer. As he passed, he gave Eli a brisk nod and continued to Thrawn’s side. The bridge seemed exceptionally quiet for the duration of their journey, running with half the crew typically required during the day. Only the primary systems were up and active, but when Thrawn called for full readiness there was not a moment's hesitation, not a flicker of doubt in any warrior’s actions. The bridge came alive and launched into motion. Systems rebooted and activation sequences sounded throughout the bridge. Screens that had previously been dark lit up with diagrams and charts. Within three minutes, five additional warriors hurried onto the bridge to fill the unoccupied seats and two minutes later, the _K’tici_ was ready for battle. 

Ajal stiffened beside Eli and the human shot him a warm smile. He couldn’t recall just how many times he’d been on a ship that came out of hyperspace into a battle, anticipated or not. Although he didn’t believe they were headed into one now, it never hurt to be prepared. Eli glimpsed Ray’ne at the navigational controls, making microscopic adjustments to their course even at impossible speeds. She was the oldest of the sky-walkers and responsible for the overnight shift. The younger girls struggled with the timing, so the shift usually fell to the oldest.

With a quick glance around the bridge, Eli gathered that it was not only Ajal who seemed on edge. The entire crew had been tense lately and it wasn’t just because they were young. Apprehension weighed heavily in the air as a million white pinpricks reappeared, signaling their return to space-normal.

They had arrived.

To nothing at all. Just an empty stretch of dark space, littered with twinkling stars.

Ajal’s shoulders relaxed with his exhale and Eli grasped his arm briefly before moving closer to Thrawn. The Chiss commander was watching his first officer with a quizzitory expression. Which, for Thrawn, meant the slightest upturn of an arched eyebrow. To Eli’s surprise he straightened and called for weapons, then rattled off a set of coordinates. 

Ferk jerked and spun to face Thrawn, the embodiment of alarm and terror.

Thrawn began to count down. “Three... two...”

“Wait!” Ferk exclaimed. “Sir you’re… you’re firing on empty space, sir?”

Thrawn turned his piercing red glow on him. Eli had seen too many officers cower under that stare. 

“Unless for some reason you disagree?” Thrawn asked coolly. “Do you?”

The other Chiss feigned innocence. “N-no, sir. I just assume we do not waste ammunition.”

There was a considerable pause, which Eli was certain Thrawn drew out to intentionally knock Ferk off kilter. His explanation had apparently been enough for him, though, and he averted his gaze. “Very well. Please have the area scanned then; debris, fuel emissions, anything that might prove useful.”

“Yes, sir,” Ferk recited, bowing out and heading to the sensor station. 

“Commander Ivant,” Thrawn called for him to step forward. The Chiss turned his back to the rest of the crew and gave him a rare smile. “You don’t have to hang back.”

Eli cocked his head in confusion.

“In fact, I would prefer if you didn’t.”

Eli started. He’d never felt comfortable interjecting in conversations to which he’d not been specifically invited. Perhaps that stemmed from years of being outranked, or perhaps it was just his way. He found doing so rather rude. 

“And I’m not the only one who values your opinion,” Thrawn added softly.

Eli just huffed and smiled. “Alright. How can I help?”

Thrawn flicked his eyes to the void of space. “Do you see anything?” 

Eli frowned and looked out, scanning the field right to left and back again. “No, but that doesn’t mean our scanners won’t.” He turned to squint curiously up at Thrawn. “Do you see anything?”

“No. However Ferk appeared far too disappointed when we arrived at nothing.” 

“Commander Ivant,” someone called from the sensor station. They both turned toward the voice, who called once more asking for Eli’s expertise.

“Well,” Thrawn muttered. “Looks like they may have found something. Take Ajal with you. It’ll be good for him.”

Why they had been called over, Eli didn’t know. They stood there for three minutes listening to Ferk ramble before he’d asked Eli’s opinion on anything, and even then he wasn’t quite sure what they were even looking at. Him and Ajal exchanged glances before Eli decided to intervene. 

“Apologies, Captain, I-” 

What occurred next happened so quickly that if Eli had blinked, he would’ve missed it. 

A commotion from behind drew his attention and he spun around to catch three battle-ready warriors with their weapons aimed at a singular, determined Chiss, who had their own charric pointed directly at Thrawn.

Eli felt the blood drain from his cheeks when his frantic gaze met Thrawn’s calm one. Thrawn spoke three words to the singular warrior. The other hissed out a response, his trigger finger flexing, but before anyone else was granted a second to act, weapons fire detonated so close to Eli’s ear that he flinched, all sound lost to him for a moment. The lone, traitorous Chiss collapsed to the floor in a lifeless heap. 

The line had been drawn. Lethal charrics trained on fellow warriors, camouflaged friend and foe. Skeptical eyes searched familiar faces, waiting for a move to be made. The ringing in Eli’s ears finally subsided and he turned to the young man behind him, his weapon still smoking from neutralizing the would-be assassin. 

Eli’s mouth opened to commend him, but the look of shock on Ajal’s face caused him to hesitate. The young man’s jaw went slack, staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the Chiss to Eli’s right. Eli felt the air stir. He twisted his body to avoid being impaled by the shining dagger aimed at his abdomen. His hand met Ferk’s forearm and redirected it in a deflection maneuver, but it was too late. 

He’d spun, but the blade had sliced through his uniform and into the flesh of his torso. He let out a strangled cry at the searing pain. Gritting through it, he brought his elbow to meet his opponents mouth out of pure defensive reflex when the other ducked free of the attack. Eli yanked the Chiss’s arm and applied quick and expert force, cracking Ferk’s elbow at the crease and snapping the bone there. Ferk howled and fell to one knee and the dagger clattered to the deck. 

Ajal’s weapon pointed toward the down Chiss’s forehead. 

“Human,” Ferk growled and muttered a curse through bared teeth. 

Thrawn was at Eli’s side before he even had a chance to search him out, placing a hand gingerly on his shoulder. He helped lower Eli gently to the ground when he swayed and stumbled sideways. 

“I’m fine,” he bit out before Thrawn had a chance to ask. 

Ferk laughed, dark and sinister. “If our people don’t end you, the Hegemony will.”

He narrowed his seething eyes at everyone around. “Along with anyone who does not kneel before them.” 

“I think that’s enough,” Ajal said, calm and dangerous.

Ferk looked up with menacing hatred. “You are all fools,” he spat. From this particular angle, Eli glimpsed the charric from behind Ferk’s back. “You cannot win.” His gaze shifted to center on Ajal. 

Eli opened his mouth to warn the young man when multiple things happened at once. Ferk moved and the blast from his weapon echoed off the walls, and the bridge was thrown into sensory-robbing darkness. 

A struggle. 

A grunt. 

The swish of the bridge doors opening once, and then twice. 

Eli heard a young girl's voice call his name in the dark.

The lights flicked back to life and Eli was granted a short moment to take in his surroundings, his eyes adjusting to the brightness as he clutched at his side. He scanned the bridge, vision warped and rippling at the edges, as if looking down a distorted tunnel.

Ferk was gone. Along with a handful of others. Ajal was alright. Shaken, kneeling beside him and stumbling over an apology, but alright. Eli tried to breathe but found it sent white-hot agony ricocheting through his body. 

He turned to Ajal and caught sight of the weapon near his knee. He met his worried gaze with as much good-natured humor as he could muster. “You’re not really my _aide,_ are you?”

Ajal’s eyes flashed uncomfortably between Thrawn and Eli before deciding to avoid Thrawn’s eye altogether. “No,” he eventually muttered.

Eli chuckled, groaning as he doubled over in pain, but gestured towards his bodyguard’s weapon with his chin. “Nice shot. Do me a favor and switch that over to stun, will ya?”

A pleased grin slowly spread across Ajal’s face. “Yes, sir.”

Thrawn, almost inconspicuously, brushed a damp lock of Eli’s hair out of his eyes. “Are you alright?” he asked, moving to lift Eli’s hand away from his rib cage.

“I’m fine, Thrawn,” Eli persisted quietly.

Without even glancing up at the unconcerned human, Thrawn gripped his wrist to gently remove his hand and get a closer look. He whispered tenderly, “Let me see it.”

“Thrawn…” Eli pressed stubbornly. 

His husband finally lifted his eyes, pain and worry etched on his every feature.

“The crew,” Eli whispered purposefully.

The Chiss blinked and reluctantly released his arm. He nodded as if accepting a truth he wanted to ignore, or at least put on hold for the time being. As much as he wanted to care for Eli, the _K’tici_ was on fire from within and someone needed to lead. 

“Navigator, you’re not on shift-” someone said to the young girl who had pushed her way through and was now standing before them.

Thrawn held up his hand to quiet the woman, watching Un’hee intently. True, she had forced her way onto the bridge when she wasn’t on duty, something even ignorant children couldn’t escape punishment for. But Un’hee wasn’t at all ignorant. She was here for a reason and Thrawn wanted to know why.

“What is it?” he asked her. 

The girl’s bottom lip trembled slightly, taking in the scene. Her eyes flicked between Eli, Thrawn, the fallen Chiss only yards away and back again. They lingered on Eli, sprawled out on the ground, his bleeding injury. He tried covering it to no avail. 

“The wait is over, isn’t it?” she murmured.

“Sir!” an urgent voice called.

Someone was pointing out the viewport, to the now uncloaked warship that had stealthily appeared during the chaos. It’s design was unmistakable; sharp edges like razors, chunks of the hull shaped like giant claws, all sides equipped with an array of weapons capable of quick annihilation. And they were all currently aimed at the _K’tici._

Every red eye fixed on the new ship, burning with intensity and deep-rooted disdain. The human however, still in a heap on the floor, gazed up at Un’hee. “You think this... is what we were waiting for?” he asked softly. 

"It must be, and it can only mean one thing." She breathed in a shaky inhale, but her gaze was steady, holding more severity than any ten-year-old’s should. “A revolt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are down for some drama because there’s about to be a lot of it! XD
> 
> Next time: The _Steadfast_ receives a distress call and the human has his own agenda.


	15. The Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The _Steadfast_ receives a distress call and Eli has his own agenda.
> 
> Song: Argus - Jo Blankenburg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: The traitors were unmasked; Eli was injured; the revolt begins.

They had discovered nothing since they’d been adrift in dark mode for almost a full cycle. Ar’alani had positioned the _Steadfast_ on the outskirts of a heavily trafficked stretch of space, a rare lane that wasn’t marred by the magnetic storms and black holes that made travel in the Chaos near impossible. It was calm here. So this was where they waited. Word was that a swarm, because she chose not to give the pests a more meaningful name, of Grysk freighters were only a few hundred kilometers from their current location. With any luck, one or more of those ships would unknowingly stumble right into their grasp. 

“Admiral,” Tanik’s quiet voice came from behind.

She could hear it in her first officer’s tone, his reluctance to bother her. Ever since Commander Khresh had taken over command of the _Valiant,_ Tanik had seemed hesitant to step into his shoes. Ar’alani had known the two had a rocky past, but had sensed a change in their professional relationship before the commander had been reassigned. Now she dared to wonder, if only in the privacy of her own mind, if Tanik had grown to miss Khresh. 

“Yes, Mid Captain?” she pressed, curious as to the purpose of his presence considering this was not technically his shift. 

He bowed his head. “I don’t mean to interrupt, Admiral. I know there is much deliberation and your time is valuable. Cinsar said you’d remained on the bridge and I thought-”

“Speak, Captain,” she said firmly, choosing not to comment on the irony of him mentioning her time being valuable.

He sighed. “I realize you frown upon gossiping-”

She opened her mouth again to tell him to get on with it.

“The reinstatement of Mitth’raw’nuruodo has stirred up some… disloyalty among the crew.”

She’d expected as much, but she wouldn’t tell him that. For a half second, she wondered if they could have succeeded in keeping Thrawn’s appointment secret. Perhaps made Ivant captain instead...

She stopped herself. Second guesses would get them nowhere. She met his gaze squarely. “Surely these… officers, I presume?” She waited for him to nod before continuing. “Surely they understand that their concern is ill-placed. And unless they’re looking for an insubordination charge, they’ll keep faithless comments to themselves. Thrawn is an excellent-”

She started when he interrupted her. “Ma’am,” he paused, lacking nervousness. It was intentional. “I’m not informing you so that you might defend him, or demote him. Nor am I expecting for you to even mention it to the others.”

His gaze was stronger now, stern and oddly protective. “I’m merely providing a warning.”

Before she could ask why he thought she needed to be warned, or even to thank him for the gesture, he turned and left the bridge. 

She knew she had gambled on Mitth’raw’nuruodo, and she’d done so for as long as she could remember. Gambles that were, of course, backed by sound logic and exquisite intuition, but gambles nonetheless. Even now, she’d trusted no one more with the protection of the Ascendancy. His methods were unorthodox, and oftentimes dangerous, but they obtained impossible results. He was her friend and she believed in him. 

Because of that friendship she had gambled on his partner, Eli’van’to. She’d shared Ascendancy secrets with an alien, permitted a human to look after their nation’s most cherished individuals - beings that he had no hope of understanding - all because Thrawn had asked her to. Only… Eli’van’to had surprised her. Many times. And he was one of the most rewarding gambles she’d ever taken a chance on. 

Ar’alani desired protection for the young navigators; for them to not only be nurtured and cared for, but also to thrive in any and all capacity. She, Vah’nya, and Ivant had done what they could to ensure that dream would become reality. 

Leaning casually back in her command chair, a tiny sliver of inner peace amidst the usual pressures allowed her to revel in a rare moment of contentment. And then the call came through. _His_ call. She gave brisk orders to join him, as she said she would. She locked down her vessel, as he had suggested. Turning to direct her twelve-year-old navigator, she froze as the cold muzzle of a charric pressed firmly against her skull. 

“Think long and hard about what it is you are doing, Chiss warrior,” Ar’alani said in a measured tone, her severe gaze eyeing the other bridge crew, most of whom had charrics aimed at her. Those she had thought she could trust. “And then think again.”

The pressure of the weapon increased and a strained but proud voice she didn’t recognize responded, “I’ve done all the thinking I need.”

“Very well.” 

There was no knowing for certain if this would be the last move she ever made, but in a blink of an eye she toggled the switch that would alert her crew, and call for a complete evacuation. 

_“Servants of the Grysk Hegemony.  
I am Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet.  
This territory is patrolled and governed by the Chiss Ascendancy.  
State your purpose and you may hope to live another day.  
Remain silent, or attack this vessel in any way and you will be destroyed.  
You have one hour.”_  


Thrawn’s warning to the enemy over the bridge speaker had been dulled so that every time it came around again on its loop it did not drown out his crisp and stern real-time commands. He barked out orders as the ship erupted into motion at Un’hee’s words, while carefully helping Eli to his feet. 

The human blinked multiple times in an effort to focus his blurred vision before lifting his chin. “You assigned me a bodyguard?” he asked in a strained voice, wincing at every movement.

“I thought it was a necessary precaution.”

“I _did_ just snap a man’s arm in half,” Eli countered. “Or maybe you missed that?”

The tiniest of grins appeared on Thrawn’s face. “I saw it. Sorin-”

The other Chiss appeared at Eli’s side. “Over here, commander,” he said to Eli, as the human was passed off. “Let’s get you patched up.” 

“Oh, I’m fine, Sorin,” Eli groaned as Thrawn returned to commanding his ship. “I just can’t breath,” he added with a small chuckle.

Sorin snorted. “The most accurate definition of ‘fine’…”

“Precisely.”

“Can I do anything, commander?” Ajal asked, following closely behind him and Sorin to the nearest overturned storage bin. 

Eli gave him a warm and honest smile. “You saved Thrawn’s life. You’ve done more than enough.”

Ajal grinned sheepishly until Sorin asked him to grab the med kit, in which he straightened to attention and hurried off. 

“Mid Captain,” Eli heard Thrawn say. “Escort this navigator back to their ready room. Seal the hatch and remain there for protection.” 

Eli and Un’hee made eye contact just before she was led from the bridge. It was not worry Eli saw on her young face or even fear, but rather a call to action. Although she was more or less a child, she had never been sheltered and knew the severity of who they faced and what they were capable of.

“Lock down the bridge,” Thrawn ordered once they had left, his red eyes illuminating in acute determination. The hatch was sealed shut and Eli watched as two warriors, charrics held across their chests, positioned themselves as guards on either side.

The human remained silent. It went without saying, locking down the bridge would guarantee no other sanctuary for loyal Chiss. And on a ship crawling with mutineers, Eli doubted such a place existed. Not that any of them would find honor in hiding, of course. 

“Are you rethinking this yet?” Sorin asked Eli with a grin. Ajal returned with the med kit and they set to work bandaging the gash in Eli’s side. 

He couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Are you kidding? This is my favorite part.” Sparing the others the tedium of cutting away the extra fabric of his tunic, Eli stripped it from his body and laid it aside for the time being.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Thrawn glance over, pause, then turn to the nearest tech officer with another command. Medical emergencies called for zero modesty. 

“I want a report from all departments.” Thrawn was saying. “Missing warriors. Injuries. Deaths. Surveillance. I want it all. Do we have communications?”

There was a pause while someone checked. “Yes, sir. For the moment.”

Eli hissed as the antibac stung his raw flesh. Ajal winced along with him. In his gaze Eli could see his guilt. 

“It’s not your fault,” he told him firmly, grasping the boy’s arm to reiterate. The boy nodded, although still clearly unconvinced. 

“Send word to Admiral Ar’alani,” Thrawn instructed briskly. “Inform her of our status, send a warning of caution and a request of aid, if at all possible.”

“Delivered, sir.” 

Eli straightened at the sound of distant charric fire. He waited, listening for more but heard nothing.

“Contact Fleet HQ-”

“Long range coms are gone, sir.”

Eli glimpsed Thrawn’s tense expression at the news. The clenching of his jaw was almost invisible, but Eli caught it before it quickly disappeared. His eyes flashed over Thrawn’s shoulder at the Grysk ship still hovering out the viewport, as though taunting them with its presence. 

He might have been the only one who jumped at the sudden blaring of klaxons overhead, accompanied by the steady flashing of red emergency lights. The Red Flame, Eli thought as the loud siren continued to wail, if she went down Ar’alani would be furious. Assuming they’d make it out of this to hear her reprimand. 

“Mute.” Thrawn commanded in a low tone. 

The obnoxious alarm was silenced and the bridge was left in deadly stillness with only the intermittent flashing of red lights illuminating the space before the bright white returned. The severity of the situation settled on all of them, cold and foreboding. If the others had gotten to systems control, what else had they gotten to?

Eli was restless. As soon as Sorin had finished wrapping his torso and injecting a stim and pain inhibitor into his shoulder, he gingerly pulled his tunic back on. It took effort not to hunch when he stood, as fully straightening caused shooting pain along his rib cage, but he managed. He made his way over to the warrior manning the comm station. 

“Have they all reported in?” he asked as his eyes flashed over the screens, hoping against hope that the officer saw something he didn’t in all that flooded in. The console indicators flashed from red to green as all divisions checked in; acknowledgments, injuries, fatalities.

“Not yet, sir,” the other said as he watched the numbers trickle in.

Thrawn spoke from the command walkway. “Broadcast to the entire ship. Instruct everyone to remain in their barracks. Anyone leaving will meet deadly force.” He turned to the nearest awaiting warrior and murmured, “Set them to stun and send them out.”

“Yes, sir,” the woman said before speaking in a hushed tone into her com. 

Eli let out a slow exhale, realizing with an overwhelming sense of relief that the remaining bridge crew was not all they had. There had to be groups scattered throughout the ship, no doubt ready for a fight. Thrawn’s order to keep everyone inside was merely to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. It was still evening on the _K’tici._ Perhaps that could work in their favor.

“How about now?” Eli pressed quietly. “Are the navigators secure?”

“No, sir,” the officer said, shaking his head. “Nothing from their ready room.”

Eli stood straighter, repressing the wince that threatened to register in his posture. Thrawn was speaking to another officer, detailing their current plight and forging plans. Eli should join them, but he’d already made his decision. And the longer the sky-walkers remained silent, the more right that decision felt.

“You can not leave the bridge, sir,” one of the charric-wielding guards said when he strode purposefully toward the exit. 

Determined human eyes stared down glowing red ones. “Open the hatch.”

“The bridge is locked down, commander. No one is permitted to leave.”

Ever since arriving on the _K’tici_ Eli had purposefully taken the backseat, allowing Thrawn to reacquaint himself to his command with as little interference from Eli as possible. Truthfully, he did so out of an abundance of respect for the man, honoring their past dynamic in a simple and gracious way. He had never gone above Thrawn before, in the Empire or in the short time together on the _K’tici._ It had never been necessary and he’d never been in a position to do so as his subordinate. 

Now he was acutely aware, but also incredibly removed, from the fact that he was doing exactly that.

“Open the hatch,” he repeated. His voice did not quiver. “That’s an order.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok... don’t laugh at me, but I’ve recently discovered the 'subscriptions' feature, so thank you to everyone who’s shown interest in this little bundle of drama. <3 
> 
> Next time: Eli makes a choice.


	16. The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli to the rescue.
> 
> Song: Separated by the Storm - Gareth Coker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: The _K’tici_ is dealing with a mutiny; Eli went against Thrawn’s orders. 
> 
> Warning: Things get heavy in the next few chapters, please be prepared. This is when all the heartbreaking tags come into play.

Unclipping his charric from his belt, Eli hugged the wall as he traversed the eerie corridor. The klaxon alarm had been silenced here as well, but the usual bright light hadn’t been restored. Instead, flashing red emergency lights lit his path toward the sky-walker suite. Expert stealth and skill were essential here as there was no guarantee that whoever he ran into wouldn’t try to kill him. In an attempt to evade such a confrontation, he peered around each corner and listened for voices or footsteps down each echoey hallway. He paused to dry his sweaty palms on his trousers, glancing behind him to ensure he wasn’t being followed. In training it would be embarrassing to drop his weapon. Here, it could mean the difference between life and death. 

He had to believe the navigators were safe, it was the only shred of hope not crippling him where he stood. He pressed on, stepping over two downed Chiss. Friend or foe? He didn’t know. A cold hand closed around his heart at the possibility of having to neutralize a once loyal comrade. And how would he know the difference? He swallowed hard, finding his mouth dry. 

And what would he tell the others if any of their girls were injured? 

Vah’nya.

Ar’alani.

How would he face them if he could not fulfill what he’d promised? 

But the sky-walkers were fine; they had to be. Probably huddled together in a single room farthest from the corridor so the sound of weapons fire would be dulled. Eli told himself they were fine. Thrawn had sent a warrior to watch over them, the one who had escorted Un’hee back to their suite. Rushing to their ready room in haste had not been foolish or entirely necessary, he told himself with each muted step. It was just precautionary, and they were fine. 

He fought the hopelessness and dread that threatened to steal what little assurance he felt in this moment. Lost in careless thought and worry, he rounded a corner before suddenly shrinking back. A scouting team walked ahead. There were only two of them, striding surreptitiously along the corridor, charrics raised near their chins. They were going from room to room, checking each one as they passed. Two against one; Eli could take them. But it was essential to Thrawn that no Chiss be harmed. The human commander knew their fight wasn’t with the Chiss. Grysks _did_ things to their victims, their clients. Until they gleaned more information regarding the involvement of the Chiss people, Thrawn had instructed them to do no harm. One of the warriors glanced over their shoulder and Eli ducked out of sight. Now, that wasn’t to say Eli wouldn’t stun their ass if one of them took a shot at him. 

There was no way to know if these Chiss were turncoats or allies, and Eli didn’t have the time to stop and chat so he continued on, deciding on a different route. He snuck through the med bay and into an unused tech room. There were many unused spaces on the _K’tici_ as it was the largest in the Fleet and not nearly manned to capacity. He emerged in the corridor intersecting that of the navigators suite, creeping quietly along. Poking his head cautiously around the corner to gather if the coast was clear, he froze. Bodies littered the floor, more so than any of the other hallways, and he knew the location had not been coincidence. 

Peering down the hall he made out the double-red-rimmed door, its status light a solid red indicating the locking mechanism was still in place. But it did very little. The steel barrier was blown wide open, bent and twisted to allow anyone access. Over the threshold lay a figure, too small to be an adult warrior. The cold of death washed over him, its iciness rushing through his bloodstream, sharp and cruel and bone-chilling as he moved steadily on. 

He took a wide, careful step over a fallen warrior, swallowing back the bile creeping up his throat and breathing shallow to keep the putrid scent of death out of his airways. It seemed to amplify in the narrow space as he bent low to acquire another’s weapon, attaching it to his belt. 

As he approached the door to the sky-walker’s suite, he squinted to make out the corpse of a young girl before he stepped close enough to identify who it was. Her name had been Den’ali, and she lay almost peacefully across the threshold to their quarters. Blue eyelids concealed her dimmed, once lively red eyes. Her arm lay haphazardly to the side, reaching out to grasp the hand of a female warrior who lay propped up against the wall beside her, eyes wide and unseeing. 

Eli’s ragged breathing caught in his throat when he ducked through the hatch, to scorched and pockmarked walls, the tables and chairs overturned. His heightened senses registered the lackluster hiss of a broken bedroom door as it repeatedly tried to close. With vigilant awareness he crept around, fingering a dirty plate, a writing stylus, a charred blanket. Common things from everyday life, utilized by Hazel Iris. He checked each individual room, but they were all deserted. Swallowing hard, he tried not to imagine the horror of what had occurred here. But there was nothing for it. His trembling hands clenched into fists as the rage bubbled, simmering hot and seething. He blinked the red haze from his brown eyes. 

Heart aching and hell bent on keeping up the search until he knew for certain what had happened to the others, he wound back around toward the hatch —

And nearly shot through the ceiling when something grazed his shoulder. Eli spun around, coming face-to-face with open air. He looked around frantically, his heart thudding in rapid succession against his chest. But there was no one.

So soft and quiet that he barely heard it, a noise from above made him look up. A small girl was watching him from a gap created by a removed ceiling tile. 

Relief flooded his being, heart swelling in elation, followed quickly by confusion. 

“How did you-”

He answered his own question before finishing it. Ru’ta reached out as he reached up and she drifted — no, _floated_ into his outstretched arms. She clutched at his uniform when he brought her to his chest, cradling her for a moment while she shook, before squatting to lower them both to the ground. She looked exhausted, but he couldn’t help feel a dash of hopeful anticipation. He’d found one navigator; he was determined to find the other. 

Eli took hold of her tiny shoulders, looking her over for any physical abrasions. He smiled, as if it would help anything, and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“You’re safe now,” he whispered, his own spirit renewed. 

She offered him a weak smile, but it was superficial. He saw in her tortured gaze the damage that had already been done. This night would be forever ingrained in her memory. It would haunt her dreams. It would force her to fear her own people; her own home, where all children should find shelter. 

But there was no hope to shelter a sky-walker. 

He wished he could rescind the images in her young mind, but not before he garnered everything he could from them. She must have sensed his curiosity because her expression darkened. She spoke softly, as if afraid they’d be overheard. “They took her.”

An invisible knife twisted in his gut as the blood drained from his face. A fresh wave of nausea washed over him. He swallowed it back, searching the girl's puffy, glowing eyes, willing her to be wrong.

He knew she wasn’t. 

“You saw them?”

“No,” she answered simply. “Vah’nya told me.”

Eli’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. He hated to make the girl feel invalidated, but…

“What do you mean she told you?”

Ru’ta cocked her head to the side, her own expression mirroring his confusion. She looked at him as though it was the simplest explanation, and that he was absurd not to understand it.

“She just did.”

Brown eyes flashed back and forth between hers. 

“She also told me to tell you _"mozat varci."_ She knew you were coming for me.”

Eli retracted a little, staring in amazement at the girl, and mild alarm.

“She... _told you?”_

The girl nodded. “Does it mean what I think it does?” Her expression was now one of childish curiosity. “Do you think there are many pretty things inside?”

Eli forced a smile, scooping the girl up in his arms and securing her on his hip. “I know there are,” he said softly, jotting a mental note to ask Vah’nya about her advancements in Second Sight. 

With Ru’ta perched on his hip, the bandage circling his torso bunched up and she peered down at it, barely visible through the slice in his uniform. She ran her fingers gingerly across the dressing, tilting her head in wonder.

“You are injured.” 

He smiled again. “Do not concern yourself with that, little one. I am fine.”

She stared into his eyes and seemed to understand in that moment that _nothing_ was fine. But she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck and gave him a curt, brave little nod. “Let’s go, Commander. You’re needed on the bridge.”

Eli nodded his agreement. He had no idea where Un’hee was, but he had secured one sky-walker and the bridge was the only safe haven. 

“Hold on to me,” Eli told her, unsure what they’d run into when they left here. “And keep your eyes closed.”

Her grip tightened around his neck as she buried her small face in his shoulder. He knew she could probably feel his heart racing, no doubt knowing he was nearly frozen with fear. But he stepped forward regardless, drawing his charric from its holster once again. 

Eli made his way carefully between the bodies in the hall, reminding Ru’ta to keep her eyes closed as they went. They crept quietly through the corridors. Eli felt an odd sort of familiarity as he guided them through these halls, as he’d just navigated them with little difficulty. 

Rounding a corner, he froze.

Perhaps he’d felt a little _too_ comfortable. 

Three charrics rose simultaneously, each aimed at the face of a determined man, and a small girl. 

It took less than two seconds for the others to lower their weapons. “We’re friends,” they called, placing their weapons gingerly on the floor and raising their hands.

Eli realigned his weapon. “Prove it.”

One of them shifted, lowering his hand slowly into his pocket, keeping his wary eyes on Eli. 

“Where are your patches?” Eli asked, noticing the missing fabric from their shoulders. Ru’ta squeezed him tighter. 

“You really think, in the middle of this mess, our adopted families mean a damn thing?” One of them said just loud enough for Eli to hear. He didn’t understand the dark, turbulent malice that lurked beneath his cool demeanor. He scoffed, either at Eli’s question or at the disdain for their own family. Eli guessed he was right. No one was even sure which families were still loyal to the Ascendancy, if this whole debacle was family-sanctioned and not some power-hungry renegades just wishing to start a war.

While Eli had been contemplating the idea of civil war, one of the men pulled something small from his pocket. He lifted it into the air so that Eli could see before bending and sliding it across the floor. The object was tiny. Eli was only able to stop it with his boot by catching the light which glinted off of it.

The warrior kept his hands in the air but nodded toward the object, encouraging Eli to take a look. “Ajal told us to give it to you,” he explained, his tone stiff and guarded. “He said you’d know what it was.”

Eli ran some quick mental calculations, sizing them up before lowering Ru’ta to the ground. He kept his weapon fixed on the others. “Stay behind me,” he muttered to the girl. She kept close to his leg.

Reaching under his boot, he pulled the small object out from under it, turning it curiously over in his palm. It was a small pin etched with the Kivu family crest; the one Thrawn had proposed to him with. Eli’s eyes shot up. “Where did you get this?”

They glanced at each other. Something was wrong.

“Thrawn gave it to Ajal,” one of them said plainly. “And Ajal… gave it to us. To give to you.”

Eli frowned. “And where is…”

He trailing off, eyes flashing desperately between the two warriors. Distant charric fire resounded through the hall but only Ru’ta stirred, clutching tighter to Eli’s leg. His heart sank into his stomach at the other’s reticence, a quiet, aching dread seeping into his bones. 

“No,” he muttered, swallowing hard when he realized he’d said it aloud. He refused to believe it. His mind had simply filled in the gaps, landing on the worst possible scenario as human minds often did. Ajal was too young, too _good._ Eli shook his head in dismissal, searching for another explanation for the pained regret in their red eyes. 

Ru’ta tugged at his pant leg as if reeling him back in. He peered down at her, recalling his objective. She wasn’t safe yet. 

He bent and lifted the young girl into his arms, allowing her to latch onto him once more, her small fist closing around the fabric of his shirt. Striding across the corridor and closer to the warriors he said, “I’m assuming you will be escorting us to the bridge?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheunh: _mozat varci_ \- jewelry box
> 
> Next time: Eli makes a choice.


	17. The Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli makes a choice.
> 
> Song: Fading of the Light - Gareth Coker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time: Eli rescued a navigator.

The hatchway opened with a swish and Eli appeared, carrying the youngest navigator in his arms. While his posture slumped with exhaustion, his expression held fierce resilience that Thrawn had not often seen. 

Thrawn’s eyes fell shut for the length of time it took to exhale when he entered. He hadn’t allowed himself to think the worst, but war was unpredictable and unforgiving. Following Eli were two of the three warriors Thrawn had dispatched in search of him.

“Where is Ajal?”

One of the warriors gave a minute shake of their head without meeting his gaze. The gesture spoke louder than any words. 

_Such a waste._ Thrawn mused, contemplating if he should’ve spared more warriors to the cause. Perhaps if he had - no, warriors did not concern themselves with the ‘what if’s.’ There was only the strike, and the counterstrike. 

Eli lowered himself and the girl to the floor as Thrawn approached. 

“I ordered everyone to remain on the bridge,” he said.

Eli remained squatting beside the girl, chuckling softly when she threw her arms around his neck in a bone-crushing embrace. He watched her sprint to her sister. “I’ll do whatever necessary,” he said, standing. “To protect those who depend on me.”

He didn’t say it in defiance of Thrawn’s order. He just said it; it was how he felt. Thrawn could see the truth in the way his eyes lingered on the reuniting sky-walkers. Something about his statement resonated in Thrawn’s very being, for it held the same likeness of his deepest aspirations and lifelong goals. 

Eli turned away from Thrawn, unburdened by what Thrawn might think, concerning himself only with what came next. It was that sudden confidence that Thrawn found endearing and dare he say attractive. He grinned, finding himself not the least bit upset. 

“You may have had good reason-” Thrawn started, following him to the status boards.

“Thrawn, I really don’t-”

“I am glad you did,” Thrawn interrupted him, for clearly he misunderstood. The Chiss glanced in the direction of the girls before meeting Eli’s gaze again with nothing short of booming pride. “Next time, just please inform me so that you go prepared with the warriors you need.” 

Eli smiled in relief that they weren’t going to pursue this argument. “Sounds good, Commander.”

“Where are the others?” Thrawn asked with a half turn toward the navigators. 

It didn’t escape his notice that Eli refused to meet his gaze. Instead, Eli called over surveillance, asking them to rewinding the tapes from corridors he’d just traveled.

“The other navigators?” Thrawn pressed. “Commander?”

Again, Eli pretended he didn't hear him.

“What have we learned?” The human asked, his eyes fixed on the recordings, chin resting between his two fingers.

Eli hadn’t clarified to whom he was speaking, so a female weapons officer stepped forward.

“They haven't fired and their barriers are down,” she answered him. 

“Compromised?”

“Just down, sir.”

Eli snorted. “Are we sure we’re dealing with Grysks?” he asked sardonically. 

“Positive, sir,” she determined, holding out her questis for him to take. “It's the same design we saw over Sarvchi last year.”

“Thank you, Thuriel,” Eli said, taking the device from her hands.

Curiosity abound, Thrawn cocked his head to the side, deducing that this woman had once known Eli on the _Steadfast._ Who had he been then? And had he been anything like this man before him now? 

Eli glanced back over his shoulder, noticing that Thrawn had stayed back, clasping his hands calmly behind him and letting Eli take the lead. Eli couldn’t be bothered to feel pride about that right now; perhaps later. 

Thuriel was speaking again. “We have loyal troops scattered throughout the ship. They’ve detained many Chiss trying to escape-”

“Escape?”

She nodded, hesitating. “I don’t think they’d planned to take the ship, sir. At least... not any more.”

“Where are these Chiss now?”

“Getting cozy in the brig, I imagine,” said one of the young males, leaning casually against the tactical board. 

Eli gave him a disapproving once-over and arched an eyebrow. That was all it took for the warrior to straighten up.

“Also…” Sorin stepped closer to Eli, pausing until he looked up and their eyes met. “Our fighters…” He gave a curt nod at the realization in Eli’s eyes. _“Those fighters_... it is possible they won’t be much use.” 

Eli just watched him, waited patiently for an explanation, or retraction. 

“They’ve been sabotaged, sir,” Sorin told him quietly. “We’re still assessing the damage.” 

Eli swore under his breath. So at least one of the traitors had known. Which meant they had to be neutralized before word got back to the Grysks on the ship. If they hightailed it out of there before Thrawn had a chance to test his vapor, they might never know if it was viable. Those fighters were equipped with special attachments to house the vapor. If they wouldn’t fly…

“Will it still work?” Eli asked in a low tone. 

“My men are working on it.”

Eli nodded silently, catching sight of Thrawn out of the corner of his eye. His husband met his gaze and turned. Eli understood that as ‘we need to talk.’ He met Thrawn on the command walkway, near the pile of discarded shoulder patches. 

“What’s this?” Eli asked, noting the sphere of missing fabric from many of the warriors uniforms.

Thrawn also considered the pile. “They’ve decided that fighting under the Family names... is no longer in their best interest.”

_Finally,_ Eli thought with a gentle smile. The military without family affiliation; as it should be: one mind, one ambition, one cohesive unit. 

Speaking of one cohesive unit.

“Thrawn,” Eli lifted his chin. “The Ascendancy… Csilla…”

Chiss eyes narrowed. Eli just shook his head, mouth agape and with no idea how to explain to him what he knew.

Ru’ta tore herself away from her sister and moved so close to Eli that her shoulder brushed his hand. “We can’t go home, Commander.”

Eli gazed down at her small figure, staring purposefully up at Thrawn. Placing a comforting hand on her small shoulder, Eli reluctantly raised his eyes to Thrawn’s. 

“What she said,” he whispered. 

The confusion on Thrawn’s face was only evident by a miniscule twitch of an eyebrow. Eli was fairly certain he’d be the only one who could detect it. He sighed, sending Ru’ta on her way before facing Thrawn again.

“We have an ally back home,” Eli began. “One that doesn’t need transmission frequencies to communicate with this ship.”

Thrawn’s eyebrows rose slightly. 

“Apparently Vah’nya can speak with the sky-walkers,” Eli explained. “She spoke to Ru’ta…” Sorin strode over, cautious and questioning, waiting for his presence to be welcomed. With a nod of acceptance at his being there, Eli continued, praying that his voice did not shake and the utter helplessness he felt was not portrayed in his features.

“Csilla’s under siege, Thrawn.”

Both Chiss stiffened.

“I don’t know the extent of it.” Eli admitted, crossing his arms in defeat. “But we prepared for it. Ar’alani, Vah’nya and I. Ru’ta knew the code phrase.”

Thrawn nodded his understanding, urging him on. He knew Eli would have more to explain, so he waited. Sorin spoke up first. “What does it mean?”

Thrawn saw the muscles of Eli’s throat work. “It means Csilla has fallen, and to… well,” Eli glanced at the sky-walkers. “Where do you keep precious jewels?”

“In a safe.” Sorin offered.

Eli nodded. “Or a jewelry box.”

They all understood the figurative meaning. Eli brought out his questis, typing in secure access codes and pulling up encrypted files. 

“We can’t leave here yet,” Thrawn was saying. “I called for Ar’alani, and the Grysks-”

“We’ll… handle this first.” Eli conceded. “And then go.”

“Where?” 

Eli turned this device to face them, scrolling through the files and starcharts from upside down. “Naporar, Copero, Csaus,” Eli explained. “Even decommissioned bases. They’re everywhere.”

“Safehouses,” Sorin stated. 

Eli nodded. “Splitting them up was wisest.” He turned his hesitant gaze on Thrawn, wanting to know what he thought of this long awaited reveal.

Thrawn gave him a slight nod of approval, asking to see the questis. Eli watched Thrawn’s contemplative expression as he looked it over. “Extra defenses, security codes, sustainability for years-”

“If it comes to that.”

“Fortresses.” Thrawn muttered, impressed. “In case this happened.” 

“The sky-walkers will be targeted first.” 

Their eyes met for a long moment, acknowledging that crushing truth. This was the first time they’d simply looked on each other since Eli had left the bridge in a mad rush, with no guarantee that he’d return. Sorin must have sensed some privacy was needed because he moved wordlessly away during the silence.

Thrawn handed Eli his questis, their fingers meeting over the device, cold against warm. 

“Ajal…” Thrawn began.

Eli didn’t respond, just pulled the pin from his pocket, the words caught in his throat. He just shook his head, finding himself unable to say it aloud.

Thrawn plucked the pin from his palm and attached it openly to his chest. Once finished, he flattened his palm over it, feeling the steady beat of Eli’s heart. What did it matter if everyone knew? It would make no difference in the outcome of this; such a concern seemed trivial now. 

Thrawn found the human still wouldn’t meet his gaze. Words would not soothe his heavy heart and now was too chaotic a time to usher him away for a private moment of grief, an extended embrace, or even demand that he get some sleep. It was a small gesture, but with only a moment to spare Thrawn ran his thumb tenderly along Eli’s warm cheek. He took this fleeting moment to console him how he could, in his own modest way. Brown eyes finally met his, and blinked the numbness aside. 

Thrawn bent and combed through the heap of ripped emblems on the floor, pulling a small utility knife from the pile. Raising it to Eli’s uniform and after a questing glance, he made a small slice in the material and began to carefully cut around the design on his shoulder.

“Before Ajal left the bridge,” Thrawn began, throwing him a cautious look to gauge his reaction in hearing his name. “He reminded us that we serve the Ascendancy,” the Chiss shot him a compassionate look. “And while one may feel pride in fighting for their family,” the patch fell to the floor, landing atop the others, “defending our home was enough for him. As it should be for us all.”

Realization dawned in the human’s eyes and he offered him a weak smile in return. 

Clearing his throat, Eli muttered, “The navigators are gone.” He couldn’t say their names, not yet. “Two of them-”

“Sir-”

They both turned. 

“Explosions reported in the aft hangar bay. Shuttle departure from… main hanger.” 

Suddenly Ru’ta was at Eli’s side, gripping his wrist with more force than a child should possess. “She’s there,” she whispered urgently, pointing to the shuttle now curving around the _K’tici_ as it fled. “Un’hee.”

Eli’s heart sank; he couldn’t take another loss. They’d already lost so many warriors, but if the shuttle escaped it would all have been for nothing. Even if it broke his heart, Eli wouldn’t allow the misdirected Chiss to succeed. 

He told himself… _convinced_ himself that Un’hee would understand. 

He knew what he had to do. Even as Thrawn ordered them beamed back, with the response that it wasn’t possible, Eli hurried to the weapons station. Thrawn barked an order to get the compromised tractor back online and then materialized at his side. Eli was vaguely aware of Ru’ta and Ray’ne standing silently behind him. 

“Eli,” Thrawn spoke softly, hardly a whisper. 

Eli ordered the weapons officer away, taking up position before the controls. He glanced at Thrawn, but was not in any mood to listen. “I promised them...”

“Do not kill my people,” Thrawn said strongly. 

“They are not your people if they are fighting you,” Eli snapped, not even bothering to glance at the Chiss this time.

“They are _all_ my people,” Thrawn reminded him. “It is not the Chiss I want killed. Brought to justice, yes, but not killed.”

Eli knew all this, but he couldn’t listen as he pulled up the targeting computer. “The Chiss on board that shuttle know what you’ve built, and Un’hee-”

People made sacrifices all the time. They were never easy and in most cases, they were unnecessary, but Eli felt he had no other option. 

Thrawn spoke softly. “We will rescue her, Eli.”

“And what if we don’t?” Eli hissed. “Are you going to condemn her to a life of slavery? Again?”

Ray’ne, the elder sky-walker, took a step towards them. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t need to. Eli recalled what Vah’nya had said. _Death would be showing them mercy._ But when he’d promised Vah’nya years ago, he’d never thought it would come to this. Thrawn stilled him with one hand on his shoulder, the other cupped around the weapons control panel, preventing him access.

“There has to be another way.” Thrawn said softly, his voice distant, as if trying to work out another option even while he spoke. 

Eli turned to him. “There isn’t time. I told her I would protect her. If not in life...” he didn’t need to finish the thought. He wasn’t even sure he could.

Thrawn’s usually stoic features were riddled with pain and tortured helplessness, an unwillingness to accept Eli’s words.

“I promised them, Thrawn.”

Eli placed his shaking hand over Thrawn’s. They stared at each other for a moment that stretched into unreal time. His eyes flash to the weapons display. Ten seconds and they’d be out of range. His eyes met Thrawn’s and Eli knew he wouldn’t stop him.

Killing a Navigator was a capital crime. The girls were invaluable, cherished and vital. Chiss simply could not fathom doing so. 

But Eli could.

His eyes flicked over Thrawn’s shoulder. The other sky-walkers were watching him, Ru’ta gripping her sister tightly, her young features grief-stricken. She buried her head in the others embrace. Ray’ne gave him a short, grave nod she couldn’t possibly understand the implication of. 

Or perhaps she did.

Eli’s human fingers twitched over blue ones, but he’d made up his mind. He had promised Vah’nya that he would protect her sisters, however he could. If this was the way, and if anyone had to do it, if anyone had to _live_ with it… he would. 

He locked eyes with Thrawn one final time. They’d waited long enough. 

The turmoil within his husband manifested in his eyes, dimming their usual glow - splintering - before shattering completely. His resolve bent to Eli’s will and he saw it: silent agreement. 

Eli swallowed back the doubt, steady in his conviction. 

Inhale.

Exhale. 

Eli pressed Thrawn’s palm to the trigger. 

_Fire._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, first off... forgive me. Second, I feel obligated to explain myself... in Treason I found it rather anticlimactic for Eli to agree to something so heart wrenching, and then not have it happen. ~~I mean, thankfully it didn’t.~~ And I realize this wasn’t how he’d planned to do it, but it was still important to me to have him make due on that promise. But honestly… don’t lose faith <3
> 
> Also, I would like to point out that canon!Thrawn would _never_ allow any of this to happen, and I know that. The man's too brilliant and I'm not Zahn (all hail) so ... here we are. : ) 
> 
> Thank you for reading. Now I’m off to watch Mando! 
> 
> Next time: Thrass witnesses a fall.


End file.
